


Always Ready to Fight

by BellarkeandonlyBellarke



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Minor Monty Green/Nathan Miller, Minor Octavia Blake/Lincoln, Minor Wells Jaha/Raven Reyes, POV Abby, POV Bellamy Blake, POV Clarke Griffin, Swearing, The 100 (TV) Season 1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 56,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22484212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellarkeandonlyBellarke/pseuds/BellarkeandonlyBellarke
Summary: Clarke doesn't know what to make of Bellamy Blake.  He's smug and arrogant but his kisses take her breath away.  Clarke learnt self defence and combat techniques from her Dad and now she gets to use them - sometimes with hilarious results.Starts with the dropship landing and follows similar plotlines to season 1 but may diverge later when Ark comes down.  No Finn/Clarke relationship.  Bellarke all the way. Clarke is a badass.  More of Miller beause he's so awesome. Wells gets to live.  It's going to be long. Bear with me.I don't own The 100.Please don't be a silent reader
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 24
Kudos: 129





	1. Introduction

Chapter 1 - Clarke POV

My name is Clarke Griffin and I was born in space.

100 years ago the earth was destroyed by a nuclear apocalypse but there are survivors. Twelve countries had operating space stations, which joined together to form the Ark.

The Ark's governing Council rule with an iron fist. All crimes are punishable by death, unless you are under 18. Convicted minors are sent to the Ark prison, called the Skybox, until they are re-tried on their 18th birthday. More often than not that means death. Death on the Ark is quick and mess free - the guilty are floated from one of the Airlocks.

The earth won't be in habitable for another 75 years - that's three more space generations. At least that is what we have been told. 

But today, the theory will be tested. What the Council won't admit is that they are battling an oxygen shortage. They've decided their only hope is to send the 100 prisoners from the Skybox - all under 18 - to the ground. I guess that makes us their guinea pigs. If we survive, our crimes will be pardoned. If we don't... well let's just say we're expendable. And the Ark will know either way because they've fitted us with wristbands to monitor our vital signs.

I'm in solitary for treason. It's a long story. I'm 4 weeks away from my 18th birthday. 

And today, I'm going to the ground.


	2. Dropship

Clarke POV

The dropship landed with a thud and chaos quickly followed as the 100 delinquents jumped to their feet and began to mill around. Unclipping her seatbelt, Clarke Griffin heard someone shout that the exit was on the lower floor and moved quickly past several people to climb down the ladder. 

As she descended, she saw an older boy dressed in a guard’s uniform, telling the kids to move back away from the door.

“Stop” said she quickly as she clambered down the ladder and made her way to the door “the air could be toxic!”

The boy turned towards her and for a moment Clarke froze. There was something about him. Something familiar but she knew she had never seen him before. She gasped as their eyes met, before he replied “If the air’s toxic, we’re all dead already”.

He has the deepest brown eyes Clarke had ever seen. So deep she felt she could drown in them. His dark hair was slicked back in keeping with a member of the Ark guard. The intensity of his gaze caused goose bumps to rise along Clarke’s arms. She drew in a shaky breath. What the hell was happening to her?

Realising she hadn’t replied Clarke opened her mouth to speak, just as a voice from the back of the group called “Bellamy?”

A young girl with long dark hair moved through the crowd, rushing to embrace the boy. Bellamy’s eyes held Clarke’s gaze over the girl’s shoulder.  
Clarke watched quietly, wondering why on earth she felt a twinge of jealousy stirring in her stomach. Brushing it aside, she looked away. It must be the after effects of the tranquilizer and plummeting through space in a 100 year old ship. Feeling his gaze still on her, she turned back to the hugging couple, noticing something strange.

“Where’s your wristband?” she asked

Bellamy made to reply but the girl beat him to it. “Do you mind? I haven’t seen my brother in 12 months.”

Clarke gasped in shock. Brother? No one had a brother or a sister. It was against Ark Law due to the lack of oxygen and food resources available in space. Any woman who became pregnant with a second child was forced to have a termination. There were murmurs from the gathered crowd of “That’s Octavia Blake… the girl who lived under the floor”. Octavia heard them and pushed forward angrily to defend herself. Bellamy moved quickly, grabbing Octavia and saying “Let’s give them something else to remember you by… being the first person to walk on the earth in 100 years”.

Octavia smiled and turned to face the door as Bellamy pulled the lever. “Here we go” thought Clarke as the big metal door of the dropship slowly opened. Suddenly Clarke’s vision was filled with a riot of green – in every different shade. Beautiful.

Octavia made her way out carefully down the ramp, taking in all the sights and sounds of the ground. She reached the end of the ramp. Paused. Then jumped off shouting “We’re back, bitches”.

Bellamy and the other delinquents came streaming out, laughing and running excitedly in every direction. Clarke hung back in her usual cautious manner, waiting for the rush to subside before slowly making her way out. Once out, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of air. It was sweet and filled with a wet, earthy smell. Nothing like the stale, recycled air of the Ark. She felt her hair moving and realised this must be a breeze – something she had never experienced before. Opening her eyes, she jumped off the dropship ramp onto the ground.

The ground, finally.


	3. Fancy a trip to Mount Weather?

Clarke POV

Clarke was bent over examining a map on the dropship ramp, her long blond hair glistening in the sunlight despite being tied back in a thick plait. Suddenly she felt a hand on her arm. 

“Clarke” said a familiar voice.

“Wells. What the hell are you doing here?” she replied in exasperation. 

At 6 foot 3 inches, Wells towered over Clarke. The dark brown of his arm in stark contrast to Clarke’s pale white skin. Turning quickly to face him, she removed his hand forcefully.

“When I heard they were sending the prisoners to the ground, I got myself arrested so I could protect you”

She tilted her head to meet his gaze.

“What the fuck?” she replied angrily. “Why on earth would you think I would need you to protect me? We aren’t friends anymore, Wells. Or did you forget you got my father killed?” 

Stepping away from him, she turned quickly and bumped into another boy with long floppy brown hair. “Sorry” she muttered, not looking up.

“That’s okay, Princess. My name's Finn” he replied, moving to stand too close to her and grabbing a stray wisp of hair that had come loose from her braid in his fingers.

“Get the fuck off me” she replied, hastily shoving him away with so much force he fell flat on his butt. “And don’t call me Princess”.

Moving to the other side of the dropship ramp away from Wells and the annoying Finn, Clarke focused again on the map. They were nowhere near the supply depot at Mount Weather. From the look of the map, it would be at least a day’s hike, if not more. Great, she thought. There are 20 miles of radiation soaked forest between them and the depot.

Glancing up at the other delinquents, she felt a pang of jealousy as they ran around laughing and screaming in delight at being free and on the ground. She didn’t think she had ever felt that carefree. Most people thought growing up in Alpha station was a breeze but it had been anything but for Clarke. Her mother was the Head of Medical and a member of the ruling Council while her Dad was the Head of Engineering. 

It meant she had a target on her back – both inside Alpha station and anywhere else on the Ark. Those inside expected her to behave like an Ark Princess – never having an opinion. A vapid, superficial decoration to have around with no substance whatsoever. Just sit quietly, look pretty and wait to be married off to someone chosen for you because their family could benefit her mother’s political aspirations. The thought made her shudder. Clarke couldn’t think of anything worse. She was smart and capable. She could take care of herself. As a result, she had very few friends she could truly trust in Alpha.

As hard as it was in Alpha, it was worse in the other parts of the Ark. People looked at her as one of the privileged, which she supposed was true. They’d make loud remarks intended to upset her or worse still, spat at her as she walked past. True, she did get more oxygen, a larger room, more clothes, more food than those outside Alpha but she often looked at the happy faces of Ark residents from other stations and felt envious. Had she ever been truly happy? Maybe in the years before her father died but definitely not since.

Lost in thought, Clarke was surprised to hear a deep voice close by saying “Are you going to push me onto my butt too, Princess?” She could feel his breath tickling her ear and neck, causing her skin to pebble. She recognised that voice and her reaction to it - Bellamy.

She turned to find he was standing much closer than she had anticipated. Gasping in surprise she took a step back only to feel the ramp of the dropship bruising her legs. Her blue eyes flew to his brown ones and what she found there may her gasp again. His gaze was startling in its intensity. A mix of curiosity, humour and something darker but unidentifiable. 

What a ridiculous thought! Get a grip, Clarke, she thought. Shaking her head to clear her confusion and ignoring his question, she replied “I’m trying to find where we are so we can get to Mount Weather for the supplies”

“Why do you need to know where we are? We are on the ground. Isn’t that enough for you?” He asked quietly

“Look it’s very pretty and yes, I would love nothing more than to sit here and sketch everything I can see but I’m also aware that we are about 20 miles from the nearest food. The longer we wait, the more hungry we will become and the harder it will be to get there. And if it rains, we’ll need some form of shelter other than the dropship. We only have the clothes we stand in so if we get wet, that means sickness and in such close quarters it will spread rapidly. And I haven't even begun to think about where we sleep or how we stay warm or where we find water..." 

“Wow Princess.” Bellamy interrupted with a smirk “Does that brain of yours always work at 500 miles an hour? You gotta relax and stop worrying.” 

He took a step closer, forcing her to try to step back again then she remembered she had nowhere to go. “A beautiful woman like you deserves some fun”, he added.

Was he teasing her? Surely he didn’t actually mean that? Clarke thought. 

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she deliberately took a step towards him to prove she wasn’t going to be intimidated. Unfortunately this brought her face very close to his – they were breathing the same air. She knew she wouldn’t be able to maintain this brave front long, so spoke quickly.

“I’ll relax when we have food and shelter for everyone” she replied tartly. Yes, she worried too much but she wasn’t about to admit it to anyone and least of all the unsettling, smug guy standing in front of her, now looking at her with his eyebrow raised.

Moving past him without any further comment, she went in search of volunteers for the supply run. She approached a large group of delinquents only to be met with laughter before some one called “Who put you in charge?”

“Why don’t the privileged do some work for us for a change?”

No surprises there. She really hated being from Alpha. Moving away to another group she saw a flash of dark blue come flying towards her and felt a warm body crashing into her.

“Griff? I can’t believe you’re here. I wondered where you disappeared to but no one would ever speak about it. What the hell did you do to get arrested?”

Clarke looked up into the face of her friend, Nate Miller.

“Miller? Oh my god. What the hell are you doing here?” Nate was her neighbour in Alpha station. Living with his dad, who was Head of the Guard. 

“Yeah about that” he replied embarrassed “bit awkward for the Head of the Guard’s son to be arrested for breaking curfew. But what about you? Why didn’t I see you around the Skybox?”

“I’ve been in solitary for treason for the last two years” she replied quietly “but I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you here.”

He smiled and hugged her again, whispering quietly “Is that Wells over there?”

“Yeah the jerk got himself arrested to supposedly protect me down here. As if I would ever speak to him again after what he did!”

“Ha, yeah. As if you need him to protect you anyway. We all stopped talking to him after what happened with your Dad. I’m sorry Griff.”

“Yeah thanks” she said, her eyes suddenly filling with unshed tears. Blinking them away quickly, she looked up again and said “fancy a walk to Mount Weather with me?”

“Sure. Let me grab a couple of my mates and we’ll head off before I get too hungry”

Nate came back a few minutes later with two kids in tow, a thin geeky boy with goggles and a shy Asian boy.

“This is Jasper and Monty. Guys this is Griff… um… sorry Clarke”

“Hi” they both said

“Nice to meet you” said Clarke “so let’s head off”

“Wait for me” came the call from behind them.

Clarke turned to see Octavia running towards them with Bellamy in hot pursuit “O, where do you think you’re going?” he said

Clarke couldn’t help but sneak a look at his face. Her fingers itched to draw him. His tanned skin almost glowed in the sunlight and a smattering of freckles ran across his cheeks. Clarke had never seen real freckles before. Conditions on the Ark meant you had to be genetically blessed to have them, due to the lack of sunlight. She found herself trying to match the pattern of freckles to one of the constellations in the night sky. 

Sheesh Clarke, you really need to get a grip, she thought to herself, forcing her focus back to the argument between Bellamy and Octavia. It seemed like Octavia was winning as they had now lapsed into silence while Bellamy considered his next move.

“Alright but I’m coming with you too then”

For some reason, this made Clarke smile. Yeah, she was liking the ground so far.


	4. What's in a Name?

Bellamy POV

Bellamy watched the petite blonde walk away from him wondering what the hell had come over him. She’d taken him by surprise from the moment he turned to argue with her about opening the dropship door. Her fierce blue eyes had arrested him and he had lost all coherent thought.

He’d found his eyes drawn back to her even as he greeted his long, lost sister. The startling combination of her unusual golden hair and those expressive blue eyes made her look a goddess from a long forgotten myth. Bellamy liked mythology. When he had the time, he’d no doubt ponder which goddess she was most like. 

Even after he and O had left the dropship, he found his eyes unconsciously searching for her blonde hair in the crowd of delinquents. He’d seen her have an argument with Wells Jaha, before running into Finn, the spacewalker who had obviously tried his best to hit on her and been rewarded with a quick push which left him sprawling towards the floor, butt first. 

Bellamy had to laugh. She certainly had spirit to match those eyes. He’d been surprised to see her treatment of Jaha, given he was the Chancellor’s son and no doubt someone she knew from Alpha. Urgh, Alpha. It represented everything Bellamy hated about the class system of the Ark. The spoiled, rich elite who didn’t care for anyone else. 

Somehow he couldn’t quite match the ferocious intelligence and determination evident on her face with the usual pouting, airhead Alpha Princess. Bellamy had met a few of those in his time - usually when they decided it would be fun to slum it with a guy like him from Factory station. Yeah he'd had his fair share of Alpha Princesses but she was different. Maybe this was why he had found himself drawn to her again as she studied a map intently. He couldn’t resist trying to unsettle and intimidate her by standing too close. She’d stood her ground fearlessly, moving closer still. And he'd had an overwhelming urge to kiss her.

He’d watched as she’d moved around unsuccessfully trying to get people to go to Mount Weather with her. He’d then seen her being swept up in a long embrace by another guy from Alpha. Miller. Bellamy knew Nate from his brief time training to be a guard with Nate’s father. He liked him but couldn’t quite dispel the uneasy feeling in his stomach while watching Miller hug the blonde. 

He really needed to learn her name. 

No, he needed to stop this. He needed to keep his focus on Octavia and staying safe. He had no time to indulge in this ridiculous fascination for an Alpha girl, regardless of how different she appeared to be. Which was why he was so reluctant for Octavia to join the group to Mount Weather. In typical O style, she relentlessly bulldozed him into getting her own way and now he found himself having to spend the next day in close quarters with the Princess.

As they made their way out of camp he walked alongside Octavia, close behind the Princess and Miller. The other two boys bringing up the rear. After walking in silence for 5 minutes, Octavia dropped back and began a conversation with Jasper and Monty. She obviously knew them from her time in the Skybox. Bellamy decided to close the distance to the couple ahead of him in an attempt to hear their conversation.

“So tell me Griff, what actually happened?” Miller asked

Griff?? Surely that can’t be her name, thought Bellamy.

He heard her sigh. “My Dad found a flaw in the Ark oxygen system. The Ark is running out of oxygen. He thought people had a right to know but the Council didn’t agree.” She paused, looking away and blinking. When she began speaking again, Bellamy could hear the tremor in her voice.

“Dad and I were planning to hack the Ark comms network and release a video to tell everyone but thanks to Wells and his big mouth, Dad got arrested before we could.”

Her voice dropped so Bellamy had to strain to hear the rest. “They floated him the next day” she finished with a whisper.

“Shit Griff! I knew Wells was involved but that’s ...” said Miller, unable to finish

“Yeah… shit” she agreed.

They walked in silence for a few moments before she continued.

“I was determined to get the word out but somehow Wells knew what I was doing and told his Dad. The next thing I’m in solitary for treason.” She sounded stronger now. Like she had got her emotions under control again.

“He’s got some nerve coming down here and expecting you to still be his friend” said Miller

“Well he can fuck right off as far as I’m concerned!” she shouted suddenly. Bellamy smiled. Yes, that sounded more like her.

“So you were in solitary for the entire 2 years?” Miller asked

“Yeah...”

“Fuck, Griff!”

“Yeah…”

“How are you still a functioning human being?”

“Who says I am?” she replied with a laugh.

Miller chuckled and threw his arm around her shoulders, before asking seriously “So how long does the Ark have?”

“By now, about 3 months… well… maybe 4 now they’ve sent us down here.”

They walked in silence while. After about half an hour, the girl spoke up again. “So how are things with you, Miller? Anything you need to tell me about?” she teased

“Why are you always so fascinated by my love life, Griff?”

“I live vicariously through you, don’t you know that?” she joked

“Okay then. Well I have had my eye on someone for a little while now but you know me, I like to be sure of the ground before I step on it”

“Oh my god. Stop being mysterious. Tell me all about him. Is he cute? Will I like him?” she replied.

Him. Him. Bellamy thought, suddenly relaxing. So Miller wasn’t competition after all. He almost came to halt as he realised his train of thought. What the hell? He wasn’t interested in an Alpha Princess and he would keep repeating that mantra until his stupid brain understood.


	5. So You're the Infamous Clarke Griffin?

Clarke POV

It began raining soon after Clarke’s conversation with Miller. 

Although she was enjoying her walk through the forest, Clarke was finding it hard to focus on anything but Bellamy walking behind her. He was making her nervous for some reason and she didn’t like it. The rain had washed the gel out of his hair so his soft curls now fell carelessly around his face. Clarke itched to run her fingers through them.

What was going on? Clarke Griffin was always in control. Always knew what to expect and what to do. But the butterflies in her stomach didn’t agree. She was battling an overwhelming urge to turn around and smile at him. 

GET A GRIP, GRIFFIN.

She tried to relax and focus on her surroundings. She hadn’t seen any animals so far which was making her worry about the level of radiation they had already been exposed to. The forest sure was pretty though.

After walking for several hours, it started to get dark so the group looked for a good place to build a fire and spend the night. Miller went with Monty to collect some firewood, leaving her with Bellamy, Octavia and Jasper.

Jasper stepped forward suddenly, asking “So you’re the infamous Clarke Griffin?”

Clarke blinked in surprise and said “I don’t know about infamous but yes, I’m Clarke Griffin”. A puzzled look crossing her face as she noticed Bellamy turn his head quickly, smiling in triumph.

Jasper continued “Is it true that you were 13 when you finished high school and got accepted as an apprentice into Medical?"

“Yes” she replied trying to quell the blush that flooded her face. 

“Cool. You’re officially a genius” Jasper added

“I don’t know about that” said Clarke uncertainly, “Abby was pretty determined I was going to be a doctor so most of my childhood was spent in the classroom”. She didn’t want to sound ungrateful but she knew it was there in the tone of her voice. What Abby wanted, Abby got.

“Whose Abby?” asked Jasper

“Oh, my mom”

“Why don’t you call her mom?” he asked

“She’s not that kind of mom. I know that doesn’t make sense. I always just called her Abby.” 

It sounded stupid and spoilt and that was the last thing she wanted to sound.

As if in confirmation, Bellamy spoke up harshly, “Guess you don’t need a mom when you have a nanny!”

Turning to face him directly, she replied “I didn’t have a nanny. I had a father” and then walked away to begin to prepare the area where they were going to have a fire.

Miller and Monty came back minutes later and soon the fire was built. The group gathered around it watching the flames, Clarke sitting between Miller and Monty, with Octavia, Jasper and Bellamy opposite. There were murmurs of conversation coming from both sides but Clarke just listened. She was aware of Bellamy’s gaze finding her frequently across the fire and did her best to avoid meeting it. He’d made it clear what he thought of her and the Alpha elite. 

The last thing she needed to do was find herself distracted by someone who thought she was lower than the dirt on his shoe. Which is why she found it annoying that the last thought she had before falling asleep was how wild and beautiful he looked with his curls falling effortlessly around his face.


	6. What's a monster eel between friends?

Bellamy POV

Clarke Griffin. Her name is Clarke Griffin. Why did this knowledge make him want to smile like a goofball? 

He’d woken up this morning and immediately turned his head to look for her. He’d got a shock when she wasn’t there. Sitting up quickly, he found her deep in conversation with Miller, next to a nearby tree. They walked back to the group where everyone was now mostly awake.

“Shall we make a move?” said Miller

“I’m hungry” said Jasper

“Yeah that’s kinda the point of this whole trip” replied Miller smiling.

The group quickly got up and underway. After about an hour’s walk they found a river. Having never seen a river before in anything but books in the Ark Library, everyone stopped and gazed in wonder.

“Bet you’re wishing you had your sketchbook and pencils now, Griff?” joked Miller

“Don’t talk about it!” Clarke laughed in reply “I’m itching to draw this and frankly, I’d kill with my bare hands if it meant I could get hold of some paper and a pencil!”

Miller laughed loudly, “I wouldn’t put it past you. Not one bit”

Octavia moved forward giggling and quickly began removing her shoes and trousers.

“What are you doing, O?” called Bellamy. He couldn't shake this feeling of panic and impending doom.

“Nothing” she said before turning and diving into the river.

“But you can’t swim…” screamed Clarke. Bellamy heard the panic in her voice and followed her as she quickly ran forward to the river’s edge.

“Lucky I can stand though” said Octavia as she triumphantly stood up, with the water only coming up to her waist.

Relief washed over Bellamy as everyone laughed and Octavia continued to splash about. Monty and Jasper were quicker removing their pants in an effort to join her when Miller shouted in horror “What’s that?” Bellamy and Clarke stood up to see a wave coming across the river at right angles directly towards Octavia. That isn’t good, thought Bellamy “Get out O! Quickly”

The next minute Octavia disappeared under the water, her horror being cut off mid-scream. Something had taken O. Bellamy felt rather than saw Clarke quickly looking around for something to help. She moved past him, getting down on her hands and knees and began pushing a large boulder towards the river.

“Help me”, Clarke cried “If we can get this in to the water, it might distract whatever it is”

Bellamy immediately moved to her side and with his considerable strength, the boulder soon fell into the river with a loud splash. Whatever had Octavia left her immediately to investigate the sound. Jasper quickly waded into the water, grabbing Octavia and dragging her out to safety.

Bellamy rushed to her side “Are you okay?”

Octavia looked startled but relatively unharmed, except for a gash on her upper thigh. Bellamy grabbed her leg to examine the wound only to be pushed out of the way by a very determined Clarke. “What the hell?”, he exclaimed.

“Let me have a look”

She examined the wound and reached across to grab Bellamy’s t-shirt. She tried to rip a section off the bottom before looking at him beseechingly. “I need something to clean the wound with”. He quickly ripped a section of his t-shirt off and gave it to Clarke, watching as she gently cleaned the wound.

“You won’t need stitches. It’s not that deep and looks worse than it actually is.”

Bellamy felt a wave of relief wash over him before it was replaced with hot anger. “O, what the hell were you thinking?” 

He continued on for some minutes while Clarke bound the wound and helped Octavia put her trousers back on.  



	7. There's no cardio in the Skybox

Clarke POV

It was quickly decided that Monty should take Octavia back to camp as she would not be able to make the rest of the journey. The remaining four stood for a few moments, wondering how they were going to get across the river. The boys discussed wrapping some vines together to create a rope so they could swing across. Quickly becoming bored with the discussion, Clarke sat down to take in her surroundings. Maybe if she could commit the scene to memory, she would be able to draw it when she found some paper.

After a few moments, she became aware of Bellamy’s gaze. She turned and their eyes met in an intimate stare, despite the distance. Clarke felt something shift deep in her stomach and her breathing quickened. What was this strange effect he had on her? Why was she so aware of him, no matter what? She’d never experienced anything like it. Then again, she hadn’t really experienced much in the way of anything in her 17 short years. With her heavy study and workload, then two years in solitary, she’d only shared the odd clumsy kiss before and they had never felt like this.

Trying to break the spell, she looked back to the river. It took only a few moments before she heard him come and sit beside her quietly. 

Don’t look. Don’t look, Griffin, she told herself.

Bellamy cleared his throat. “Thank you for looking after my sister, Princess.”

“N-n-no p-problem” she managed to stammer out

They sat together in companionable silence before he added “I’m Bellamy Blake… and you’re Clarke Griffin”

“Yes”

“I’m probably still going to call you Princess but I’d rather you didn’t shove me onto my butt like you did with Spacewalker.”

“It’s the least he deserved but if you insist”, she added with a laugh “I suppose it’s better than Griff”

At that Bellamy turned and smiled. Clarke felt like her world stop. She’d never seen anything as beautiful in her life. His whole face light up and the freckles on his cheeks gleamed as they cascaded over his cheek bones. From this point on, she thought, everything will either be known as ‘before he smiled’ or ‘after he smiled’. Oh lord. She was in trouble.

“Hey Griff, get your butt over here and give this a try” came a loud call from Miller.

Sighing Clarke got up to see what all the excitement was about. “Why do I have to go first?” she asked

“Because you are the closest thing we have to a hobbit here”

She elbowed Miller in the ribs “Arsehole”

“Shrimp” he replied

“I’ll go first” said Jasper, “I’m pretty close to a hobbit myself”

Jasper stepped forward with purpose, grabbed the makeshift rope and swung himself across the river, yelling as he went. He landed safely, if somewhat inelegantly, on the other side and threw his hands in the air in triumph. Bellamy, Miller and Clarke all cheered loudly while Jasper danced for them on the other side of the river.

“You next Princess” said Bellamy

Clarke stepped forward to grab the rope, trying to ignore the buzz of electricity from where their fingers brushed. She took a deep breath and was about to jump when they heard Jasper yelp. Clarke was astonished to see Jasper lying on the ground unconscious, with a spear sticking out of his chest.

“Get down” yelled Miller.

Bellamy grabbed Clarke’s hand and ran to the take cover behind the nearest trees. Miller was nearby behind another tree. “What do we do?” he asked

“Run” said Bellamy and he turned and quickly took off dragging Clarke along behind him. She could hear Miller in close pursuit but the only thing she could concentrate on was the warmth and tingling sensation coming from where her hand was entwined with Bellamy’s. They ran without stopping for about 5 minutes before Clarke tripped over a branch and tumbled towards the ground.

“Are you okay” she heard Bellamy ask from just next to her right ear.

“Yeah. Just give me a minute to get my breath back.” 

“You out of shape, Princess?” he asked sarcastically

“It’s a bit hard to do cardio in solitary, Bellamy!” she snapped back.

Just then they heard a loud groan. “Jasper!” said Miller, “He’s still alive. I’ll go back and see if I can see him.” With that, Miller disappeared through the trees.

“Looks like he managed to do some cardio in the Skybox, Princess?” smirked Bellamy


	8. Save the Princess

Bellamy POV

“Looks like he managed to do some cardio in the Skybox, Princess?” 

Bellamy didn’t know why he was behaving so badly. He’d been caught out by the intense way Clarke had looked at him on the river bank. He’d been watching her and she'd turned suddenly to meet his gaze, unsettling him. It had taken everything in him to not walk over, bring her into his arms and kiss the daylights out of her. His defence mechanism had kicked in and now he was being deliberately rude to her. Trying to rattle her and make her lose her temper with him.

Miller had disappeared quickly through the trees, leaving Bellamy alone with Clarke for the first time. She was still sitting on the ground where she fell, trying to get her breath back. He wanted to talk to her but he couldn’t let himself do that. He was already in way too deep. Maybe the radiation was affecting his brain because he’d never felt this. The attraction and sexual tension between them was off the charts. He really needed to get a grip because he couldn’t lose focus on keeping Octavia safe. 

My sister. My responsibility.

They sat in awkward silence for some minutes before Clarke spoke. “S-so O-Octavia is you sis-sister?” 

“Yes”

“And she was in the Skybox?”

“Yes”

“For how long?”

“a year”

“And you’re a member of the guard?”

“I was”

“Is that how you got onto the dropship?”

“Kinda”

“Kinda? What does that mean?”

He shrugged in reply.

After a few more moments of awkward silence. He could tell Clarke was losing her patience with his monosyllabic answers.

“Christ! Don’t wear yourself out with those answers, Bellamy. I’d hate for you to expand your vocabulary”

Bellamy didn’t reply. He couldn’t tell her why he was here nor how he got on the dropship. She would hate him and he already hated himself enough for what he had done. He certainly could never tell Clarke about it.

He heard Clarke sigh and felt bad. The next thing he knew he found himself saying “So I guess we are not alone down here then? There are survivors”

Clarke’s head shot up and she met his gaze, with a furrowed brow - like he was a puzzle she couldn’t figure out. He had to look away.

“Guess not” she finally said, before pausing to add “What is it you’re afraid of?”

For a moment, he thought she was referring to survivors. Then he met her gaze and realised she was talking about him. Thankfully he was saved from answering by Miller, who appeared through the trees saying “Jasper wasn’t where we left him. They’ve taken him somewhere.”

“We have to find him” said Clarke standing up like she was ready to fight the world.

“Why? You don’t survive a spear to the heart” asked Bellamy

“If it had hit him in the heart, he would have died instantly but he didn’t. We have to save him”

She moved forward and grabbed Miller by the hand, urging him to join her.

“Well, okay Griff. I know you won’t give up but how are we going to fight a group of Grounders we know nothing about?” asked Miller

“If only we had a gun” she said

At that, Bellamy stood up and lifted the back of his shirt up to show a handgun tucked into the waistband of his cargo pants.

“Will that do?” he asked sarcastically

He didn’t miss the look of glee that flashed across Clarke’s face as she said “Let’s go” and marched determinedly back to the river to look for a safer place to cross. The trio soon found the spot where Jasper had been hit and followed the blood trail through the forest. Fortunately both Bellamy and Miller had aced Earth Skills at school and knew what to look for as the moved gracefully through the forest. Unfortunately the same could not be said for Clarke who was stumbling about and kept tripping over things.

“Wow, the Princess is a bit of a clutz” said Bellamy as he helped her back onto her feet after she fell for the third time.

“Surprisingly there’s not much call for trees and roots in the Med Bay” she replied acerbically, before marching off with as much dignity as she could muster.

Bellamy decided it was probably better for him to stick close to Clarke so he could catch her before her next fall. They stepped into a clearing and could see Jasper tied up on a tree on the other side. Running towards him, Bellamy heard a muffled “oompf” and watched as Clarke began to disappear from view, right in front of him.

On instinct he threw his arm out and grabbed her wrist firmly. Looking down, he saw her dangling over a trap with large spikes only inches from her feet. Their eyes met – hers a panic-filled blue begging him to help her. Time seemed to stand still before Bellamy heard Miller shouting for him to pull her up. Before he knew it, Miller was alongside him helping him to drag Clarke out of the trap.

“Are you alright, Griff?” asked Miller once she was back on the ground.

“Y-y-yes” she replied shakily before turning to meet Bellamy’s gaze again. “Thank you”

Bellamy didn’t know what to say. Her eyes were so intense and full of emotion, he found himself speechless so he just shrugged. “I’ll cut him down” said Miller moving forward to do so. 

Clarke’s brow furrowed again as she looked at Jasper. “They put a poultice on the wound. Why would they do that?” she asked.

“Maybe what they are trying to catch likes his dinner alive”, Bellamy replied. No sooner had he said it when they heard a deep growl behind them. 

“Bellamy. Now would be a good time to get that gun out” said Clarke but Bellamy was already on it. Gun in hand he turned to face the direction of the noise just as a big, black panther leapt out of the undergrowth towards them. Bellamy pointed the gun and shot twice. The panther fell in a heap at his feet. “Well I guess that sorts out dinner” he said cockily, turning to see Clarke roll her eyes in exasperation.

Clarke moved to assess Jasper’s injuries while Miller put together a makeshift stretcher to carry him on. Bellamy grabbed the panther and flung it around his shoulders, moving off in the direction camp. Yes, it had been a good day. He’d managed to save the Princess and provide dinner for the whole camp. He could get used to this.


	9. It's all a bit Lord of the Flies

Bellamy POV

They arrived back to camp to find nothing short of chaos. Kids were chasing each other, fighting or making out everywhere you looked. One group of boys were chasing some of the younger kids stealing items of clothing and other possessions or just beating them up.

“Well that’s gone a bit Lord of the Flies quicker than I expected” said Miller. Clarke laughed in response until she saw the older boys bullying a young boy who looked around 8 years old.

“Get Jasper into the dropship please Miller” she said quickly before running towards the mayhem. “Get away from him” she yelled as she marched fearlessly into the fray, shoving the older boys back. This wasn't going to end well, thought Bellamy.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” said one of the bullies. His hair was slicked back and he looked like he hadn’t had a decent meal in years. Murphy. Bellamy recognised him from school.

“It doesn’t matter who I am. You can’t bully the younger children just because they are smaller than you”, she replied.

Murphy moved forward menacingly towards Clarke, his lip curling into a snarl. “Well I don’t take kindly to stuck-up, privileged princesses sticking their nose into my business” he replied, taking another step towards her.

Just as Murphy got within a foot of Clarke, Bellamy stepped forwarded and dropped the dead panther at Murphy’s feet. “Murphy, can you help me build a fire to cook this thing so we can all eat?” he asked quickly.

Murphy glanced from Bellamy to Clarke then back again. “What about the Princess?”

“Leave her to me” replied Bellamy. Murphy nodded then called some of his friends over and they took the panther closer to the fire to discuss how best to cook it.

Bellamy turned to Clarke to see her eyeing him suspiciously. “You think it is okay for him and his goons to beat up little kids?”

Bellamy sighed. “Look Murphy has had a tough life. As have most of the kids around here. They aren’t going to take kindly to being told what to do, especially by you. You need to cut them a little bit of slack”

“Because I’m from fucking Alpha” she said vehemently

Bellamy looked at her in surprise at her tone, “Yes, because you are fucking Alpha”

Her eyes leapt to his and they exchanged a long look. The emotions played across her face - first anger, then frustration and finally resignation. Bellamy immediately felt guilty when he saw the look of hurt in her eyes. She might not be a typical Alpha Princess but the others here would take one look at her and think she was the epitome of privilege. “Look just leave it up to me. I’m a bit older than all of you. They'll listen to me plus I’m a …”

“If you say it’s because you’re a guy, I’ll flatten you where you stand!” Clarke said indignantly before turning and striding off to the dropship.

Bellamy watched her walk inside, head held high and back straight. Oh yeah. She was definitely a fucking Alpha. Now where the hell had Octavia got to.


	10. Whatever the hell we want

Clarke POV

Clarke was fuming by the time she pushed the makeshift curtain made from parachute aside and walked into the dropship. She was greeted by a worried Monty, Octavia and Miller; immediately feeling guilty. She'd forgotten about Jasper in her anger at Murphy, Bellamy and all their idiot friends. Moving quickly towards Jasper, she removed the poultice from his wound and examined the damage. It was pretty bad but the poultice the Grounders had used seemed to be helping.

She heard the parachute curtain move again and turned to see Wells walking in.

“What happened to him?” he asked

Thankfully Miller stepped in to reply, “We never made it to Mount Weather. Jasper got attacked”

“By what?” asked Wells

“Not by what. By who?” said Clarke, abruptly. His mere presence was doing nothing for her levels of irritation.

“It seems everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong”, said Miller, “we are not alone. There are survivors here.”

“The good news is the radiation won’t kill us” said Monty “but the bad news is the Grounders certainly seem to want to”

Wells moved in to take a closer look at what Clarke was doing.

“Is that seaweed?” he asked, glancing at the poultice. “It looks like some of the red seaweed I saw in a river nearby earlier today while I was exploring.”

Sighing, Clarke ignored him and continued to clean Jasper’s wounds. None of the knife cuts were bad enough for stitches but she was worried the spear injury would become infected. Only time would tell. She looked at the others and asked if anyone was hungry. All agreed except Monty who opted to sit with Jasper. Miller quickly promised to bring him some food.

Moving out of the dropship, Clarke felt Octavia slide up beside her. “How is your leg, Octavia?”

“Much better, thanks Clarke” she replied, “do you know where my brother is?”

As if by magic, a deep voice came loudly across the camp. Bellamy. “Who among you wants to be free of the Ark for good?” It was greeted by loud cheers. 

“Then come over here and exchange your wristband for some dinner”. The group cheered again and a line of delinquents soon formed, all ready to have their wristband removed in exchange for food.

“What is he doing?” asked Clarke before she quickly ran over with Wells, Octavia and Miller hot on her heels.

“You idiots!” Clarke shouted as she reached Bellamy. He turned quickly with a hard look on his face. “Back off Princess, this is nothing to do with you”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“We’re liberating ourselves” Bellamy replied.

“Those wristbands are transmitting our vital signs back to the Ark. It’s the only way they’ll know it’s safe to come down here.” She turned to the crowd of kids who were all watching closely. “Take them off and the Ark will think you’re dead. Do you want the people you care about to think you’re dead? To think it isn’t safe to follow us down here?”

Murphy stepped forward and grabbed the arm of the next person in line before pushing a knife under the wristband and breaking it off. He laughed as he threw the wristband in to the fire.

“How could you not want our people to follow us down here now we know it is safe?” Clarke asked. She couldn’t understand why Bellamy was behaving this way. He’d been kind and caring, looking out for all of them on their mission to save Jasper and now he was behaving as if she was the enemy. She turned to look at him again as he replied “That’s the point, Princess”. He almost spat the nickname at her. “We don’t want them to follow us down here. We can take care of ourselves. Can’t we?”

The delinquents around him shouted a resounding “yes”.

“My people are already down here” he continued. “Those people up there are not my people. They are the ones who locked us up. Those people floated my mother for the crime of having a second child but no more. Here, there are no laws. Here, we can do whatever the hell we want - whenever the hell we want”

“Yeah” cheered the crowd before they began chanting “Whatever the hell we want!”

Clarke looked at Bellamy. He stood smiling facing the cheering crowd, every bit the Rebel King watched by his beloved subjects. His brown eyes dancing in the firelight and his irrepressible brown curls flashing across his face.

After a few moments, he put up his hand and there was silence. He turned back to Clarke and said “You don’t have to like it, Princess. You can even try to change it. Or to stop me. That’s fine because you can do - whatever the hell you want”

The crowd started chanting again as Clarke looked on in disbelief and more kids lined up to have their wristbands removed. Bellamy walked determinedly towards her. “So Princess”. The name sounding more like slap than an endearment. “You hungry?” He reached down to snatch her right wrist where her wristband sat. Clarke couldn’t help the gasp as his fingers gripped her skin, electricity running right up her arm. “It’ll cost you your wristband”.

She blinked for a moment before taking a deep breath to steady herself, pulling herself to full height. Looking him straight in the eye she moved closer, slowly, every step punctuated with a word.

“THE. ARK. IS. ONLY. GOING. TO. THINK. I’M. DEAD. IF. I’M ACTUALLY. DEAD… GOT IT?” 

By the time she was finished they were nose to nose. Their lips millimetres apart. She stood there, holding is gaze. Hoping she was managing the hide the heat that was running through her body being this close to him. His eyes flared as his gaze fell to her lips. She felt a fire begin to blaze deep down inside her. Panic flooded through her and she snatched her wrist from his grasp and spun on her heel to walk away.

When she got to the dropship door, she turned to see he was still standing in the same spot, with his eyes still on her. It was going to be a long, sleepless night.


	11. Phase One

Bellamy POV

Bellamy watched the entrance to the dropship as Clarke disappeared through it. His mind was in chaos. She’d stood so close to him when she challenged him, her hair had tickled his face. She wasn't like the other girls down here. Where their bodies were lean and hard, hers was soft and curvy. He closed his eyes, still able to see the image of her hips swaying as she walked away from him. And as for her breasts, they were larger than the other girls'. The only word that came to mind was voluptous. He'd been able to feel them against his chest as she'd answered his challenge. He could almost still feel their softness pushed against him now. Her closeness had affected him more than he wanted to acknowledge and he wanted her. Badly. But he couldn’t relent in his plan to remove the wristbands. The Ark couldn’t come down here. If it did, they would kill him and Octavia would be at risk. A part of him didn’t like what he was doing, felt it was wrong... but he was sure he had made the right decision. 

He looked at Octavia. She was looking at him as if she had never seen him before. Disappoinited and confused at the man her brother had become. With an angry huff, she turned on her heels and followed Clarke into the dropship. Wells gave him a look of disgust and walked away before settling down under a tree to try to get some sleep. Miller then stepped forward offering his wristband.

“You sure about this Miller?” Bellamy asked.

“Yes. I’d be dead in 10 days’ time if we hadn’t come down here and not even my Dad could have stopped it. Plus I’m hungry”

Bellamy indicated for Murphy to step forward and watched as the wristband was removed. He grabbed Millers arm as he walked towards the food and said quietly so no one else would hear, “take a bit extra to share with the Princess and my sister”.

Miller nodded and grabbed the food, turning to take it into the dropship. Soon Murphy walked back to Bellamy, “Well we’ve got rid of 63 wristbands so not bad for the first night’s work”

“Get something to eat, Murphy. Then come and see me when you’re done. Bring a friend because I have a plan”.

\--0—

About an hour later, Bellamy was finishing eating and thinking about his next move. It would be risky. The Princess wouldn’t like it but to hell with her. He needed to stop thinking about her. She wasn’t his business and he wasn’t hers. This ridiculous awareness between them needed to be dealt with and he had an idea for what would do the trick. But he'd get to that later.

Murphy walked back with another delinquent, Dax. “What do you want us to do?” After a short discussion Murphy and Dax walked off into the forest. Bellamy pulled out his gun and quietly made his way to where Wells Jaha was sleeping. He put his hand over Wells mouth to stop the boy crying out as he awoke him. Signalling with the gun for Wells to get up and follow him, Bellamy moved back and led Wells out into the forest.

Bellamy stopped when he reached a small clearing and turned to face Wells. “I don’t get you Wells” he said. “Your Dad threw you in prison then sent you down here to die and you're still following his rules.”

Wells met Bellamy’s eyes, standing tall, trying to look brave in face of whatever was going to happen.

“Look I don’t want to shoot you, Wells. Hell, I actually like you. Maybe you and I would have been friends in another world. But I do need everyone on the Ark to think you are dead?”

“Why?” asked Wells, “Why are you doing this? And for real, not more crap about whatever the hell you want?”

“I have my reasons. And I’m not going to discuss them with you. I also have the gun so I’m the one who asks the questions” Bellamy's voice was hard but he needed to convince Wells to do what he wanted.

“The thing is – why aren’t you helping me? Aren’t you tired of always being the good boy and doing what’s expected of you? Hasn't got you very far with the Princess, has it? You are worse than invisible to her because she actively despises you.”

Bellamy could see Wells considering his words. Would he help?

“Why don’t you take the wristband off and liberate yourself from the Ark and all its laws? You’ll be amazed at how good it feels.”

“No”, replied Wells suddenly, “Not going to happen... Not ever... Do you understand me?”

Bellamy nodded sadly, before placing the gun behind his back and signalling to someone behind Wells, with a shake of his head. From behind the nearby trees Murphy and Dax ran forward, each holding a knife. They tackled Wells to the ground, Dax grabbing his head and putting a knife to his throat.

“Give me your arm”, demanded Murphy. Wells didn’t move despite the blade he could feel against his skin. Murphy lunged forwad grabbing Wells arm and moving quickly to remove the wristband.

“Don’t do this”, cried Wells, “please don’t do this. Bellamy..." The metal of the wristband tinkled as it hit the ground.

Bellamy turned back to walk to camp. Phase one complete - the Ark would think the Prince was dead. Now all he needed to do was find the two girls who had been flirting with him earlier. He knew what they wanted and for once he was going to let himself have some fun. Whatever the hell he wanted!

Time to wipe the Alpha Princess from his mind, once and for all.


	12. Regrets

Clarke POV

Clarke entered the dropship with a heavy sigh before moving quickly to check on Jasper’s progress. “How is he doing, Monty?”

“He’s still unconscious but has been quite restless”

“I’m worried about infection so let’s both keep a close eye on him” replied Clarke. 

Octavia entered the dropship and moved to sit next to Jasper “Could my brother be any more of a knob?” she said angrily.

“What’s he doing?” asked Monty

“He’s forcing everyone to remove their wristband if they want to eat! I don’t know what’s got into him. He used to be so caring and supportive of me before I got discovered. He and Mum were the only people I knew and he used to spend so much time with me, teaching me to read and write, reading to me or just telling me stories. I don’t recognise that bully as my brother.”

“Why were you in the Skybox?” asked Monty

“Because I was born…” replied Octavia quietly. “They floated my Mum once I was discovered and locked me up. For a while I was worried they would float Bell too but I guess they figured that as he was only 5 when I was born, he couldn’t be held responsible for Mum’s choices”

“It must’ve been hard on him to suddenly lose you both” Clarke said, surprised that she was the one who’d said it. Why was she defending him? He’d pretty much just threatened her life and she was looking for excuses for his behaviour. Okay he was hot, but that didn’t mean she should try to justify everything he did. 

GET A GRIP, GRIFFIN!

Miller then entered the dropship carrying food. Clarke quickly noticed his wristband was gone. She wasn’t surprised. She knew how Miller felt about the Ark Council. 

“Bellamy let me take extra to share with you all” he said as he divided the panther between the four of them. 

They ate in silence for a few moments before Clarke got up and began to collect the excess material from the parachute to create a makeshift bed. It was getting late and she was tired from all the walking.

“Mind if I join you?” asked Octavia, “I’d rather not have to go back out there tonight.”

“Of course”, said Clarke, “I’d like that. It’s nice to have company”. Both girls settled in to the material, trying to get comfortable. Miller and Monty had a short discussion before moving to lie down on the dropship floor nearer to Jasper. After a few moments, the boys were asleep. 

Octavia whispered “You know Clarke, or do you prefer Griff? You are my first ever friend. Is it okay if I call you that?”

“Thank you, Octavia. I’m honoured. And I prefer Clarke” said Clarke. “I don’t have any friends who are girls either so I guess you are my first ever female friend” she added with a laugh.

“What was it like in solitary?”

“Awful. I wasn’t even allowed to see or speak to my guards. My food was pushed through a hatch each day and I had a small shower and toilet in my cell so I never got to leave or see anyone.”

“How did you cope for two years? I mean I found the Skybox hard but at least I was in a shared cell and I got to make friends, like Monty and Jasper, at meal times”, said Octavia.

“I’m not really sure I did cope. Someone bribed the guards to pass on charcoal to me every week or so. I love drawing. I filled the walls and floor of my cell with drawings and when they were full, I’d wipe it clean and start again. Without that I would definitely have lost my mind”

“Do you know who it was?”

“No. I’d guess either my mother or Wells but I’m not sure.” It was something Clarke had wondered about but she was no nearer to knowing the truth.

“I was only 15 when I was sent to the Skybox” said Octavia. “but for me it felt like freedom. Certainly more freedom that I had growing up.”

“How did you manage to stay hidden for so long” asked Clarke. She couldn’t begin to understand how it must’ve been for Octavia growing up, never leaving their small pod in Factory station.

“Well whenever anyone came over or there was an inspection, I would hide in a hole under the floor. It was awful and dark... I’m not good with the dark", she shuddered

“My Mum and I shared one bedroom and Bell had the other. Mum was out a lot so Bell was really the one who raised me and looked after me. He was training to be a guard when I was discovered but they kicked him off the program and made him become a janitor as punishment”

“My Mum worked two jobs – one as a seamstress and the other as a… a…” Octavia paused and looked at Clarke intently. “My mother had to sell herself to the guards, sometimes to earn credits for extra food or get them to tell her about surprise inspections”. She looked away ashamed.

“Hey” said Clarke, “I’m sure your Mum and Bellamy never regretted the decision to have you nor anything they had to do to keep you safe. They love you. I wish I could say the same of my own mother.”

Octavia reached forward and hugged Clarke. “Thank you” she said quietly. Clarke could hear the quiet sniffles as tears fell down both their faces. “I knew you were going to be my friend”. Clarke hugged Octavia back, rubbing her hand gently across her back until they both fell asleep.

\--0--

Bellamy POV

Unbeknownst to either Clarke or Octavia, Bellamy walked silently into the dropship some hours later. He stopped in surprise seeing his sister fast sleep with Clarke – their arms wrapped tightly around each other in comfort. He could see dried tears on both their faces. 

He watched them quietly, thinking about his attempts to rid his mind of the Princess. It hadn’t worked. He had sex with both girls but didn’t want to think about why he’d found himself thinking of his Princess as it happened. The girls had seemed to enjoy themselves and both knew it was meaningless. But looking at her now, Bellamy felt an invisible pull towards Clarke. And maybe a little regret at his actions.

Hang on, had he just called her his Princess? Oh shit. He was definitely in trouble.


	13. Conceal. Don't Feel.

Clarke POV

Clarke awoke to bird song. For a moment she wondered what the hell it was and if it was dangerous, before realising the truth. She smiled thinking it was probably going to be like this for a while until they got used to being on the ground.

Moving quietly so as to not disturb Octavia, she crept over to Jasper and examined him. He was definitely running a fever now as she had feared he would. Damn. They were going to need some of the seaweed the Grounders had used on his poultice and that would mean talking to Wells. Urgh.

Clarke slipped out of the dropship unobserved and began to walk amongst the sleeping forms, trying to find Wells. She came across Bellamy. He was fast asleep, dressed only in his pants. His shirt tossed carelessly beside him. But more disturbing was the sight of two girls snuggled up to him, one on each side. Their legs all intertwined. Yes, it was quite clear what had gone on here last night. The knowledge was like a stab to her chest causing her to turn around and fight back tears. 

Move away quickly, Griffin, she said to herself. And get yourself under control!

She found herself reciting the mantra her mother had drummed into her as a child “Conceal. Don’t feel. Conceal. Don’t feel. Conceal. Don’t feel”

Clarke didn’t realise she was saying it out loud until she heard Bellamy move behind her and say “Conceal? Don’t Feel? What is that you are saying, Princess?” once again the nickname was spat at her in disgust.

She turned around to see him standing there, proudly. Not the least bit embarrassed about what he had so obviously been doing with the two girls last night nor his current semi-naked state. Clarke tried hard to ignore the hard lines of his stomach and abs but it was proving difficult when he was standing so close to her. 

She shut her eyes to block him out, before shouting “Fuck off, Bellamy!” 

Moving away quickly she began her search for Wells. Could this day get any worse? After a few moments, she came across Wells sitting up against a tree, using a rock to shape some of the metal from the dropship into a knife. His wristband was missing and he had bruising to his face and arms.

“Wells?” she said, “What happened?”

“Bellamy and some of his bully boys decided I needed a beating. They took my wristband off while they were doing it”

“Are you okay?” The question surprised Clarke as much as it did Wells.

“Yeah, I’m fine” he replied. “Thanks for asking”

“So I need you and before you say anything else, it doesn’t mean I forgive you. Okay? Jasper’s wound is infected so I’m going to need some of the seaweed you saw yesterday. Can you take me to it?” she asked quickly. “Meet me at the dropship in five minutes?”

Wells nodded.

Clarke re-entered the dropship to find Octavia standing toe to toe with her brother (now fully clothed, thankfully) screaming at him. “You are not going to touch Jasper! Do you hear me? He is my friend, Bell” she yelled.

“Well tell him to shut up then. His moans are disturbing the whole camp” he yelled back.

Miller and Monty were trying to stay out of it but Clarke had no such thoughts. She quickly stepped between them, taking a protective stance in from of Octavia and facing Bellamy.

“Back off, Bellamy. We not all arseholes like you” she spat at him. Bellamy made a move to grab Octavia but Clarke threw her arms up to stop him. “And leave Octavia alone. She doesn’t need you to tell her what to do”

“Who the fuck do you think you are? She’s my sister. I’ll be the one who decides what’s best for her” he yelled back, taking a step closer to Clarke.

It was Octavia who replied not Clarke “She’s my friend, Bell, and nothing you say is going to stop me from doing what I want. I’ve been locked up one way or another for my whole life, but not anymore. I’m finally free to do what I want and that’s exactly what I am going to do.”

Clarke regarded Bellamy with an arched eyebrow, “So are you going to piss off and let us get on with saving Jasper?”

“Saving him. The kid’s clearly dying but none of you have the guts to make the hard choice”

“Listen Bellamy, I know you think that you are God’s gift and know everything but believe me, I learnt quite a lot in my two years in the Med Bay. He is not dying. He just has an infection. We’re going out to get some of the seaweed that will help him fight it. Give it a day and he’ll be fine”

“When are we leaving, Clarke?” asked Octavia as she picked up her jacket and put it on.

“You’re not going anywhere” said Bellamy

Ignoring him completely, Octavia turned to Clarke. It was all Clarke could do not to laugh. Bellamy really had no idea just how strong and capable his sister was. And if she could help Octavia get free of his influence, she would do it.

“We’re leaving now. I had to invite Wells along unfortunately as he is the only one that knows where the seaweed is” she said with a sigh. “But I don’t expect you to be nice to him. I certainly don’t intend to be” and with that she walked out.

\--0—

Wells was waiting just outside when Clarke walked into the sunshine, Octavia hot on her heels. “Let’s go” he said and turned to lead the way through the forest.

“Are you okay, O?” asked Clarke as they walked alongside each other.

“Yeah babe, just thinking of interesting and painful ways to kill my brother” she said with a laugh, rolling her eyes. Clarke joined in, chuckling “If you need any helps with ideas, I’m your gal”. They walked off arm in arm, still laughing.

After about an hour, Wells led them to a small river and pointed out where the seaweed was growing just near the shore. Without any hesitation, Clarke waded in and picked as much seaweed as she could reach, putting it into the makeshift backpack she had made the day before from seatbelts and parachute material from the dropship.

“Right let’s get back”, she said. No sooner has she said it when a large flock of birds came flying across the river in a panic. A loud fog horn could be heard. 

“What's that?” asked Octavia

Clarke turned to look at her and saw a green fog making its way towards them. “Is that some sort of toxic fog?”

“Follow me, there’s an abandoned air raid shelter nearby” said Wells. The girls followed him without hesitation, only stopping in shock when they reached the entrance of the shelter and saw Bellamy quickly climbing in. What is he doing here? thought Clarke before she pushed Octavia in ahead of her and followed immediately.

The inside of the air raid shelter was completely dark. Clarke could hear Wells following her through the entrance so moved out of the way, only to crash into another warm body. She felt Bellamy’s arms go around her immediately and heard him whisper in her ear “I’ve got you, Princess. Don’t panic”. She was pulled flush against him with her back to his chest and could feel his breath on her neck. It was doing crazy things to her body and she was finding it hard to think clearly. She took a shaky breath and she heard him chuckle. “Are you enjoying this as much as I am, Princess?” he said, his voice raspy and quiet. Oh lord, he sounded so seductive and that was the last thing she needed. God help here. She was attracted to the arsehole.

Thankfully Wells found an emergency lamp and turned it on. As light flooded the room, Clarke pushed out of Bellamy’s arms and stepped away from him, hissing “don’t touch me”. Once their eyes had adjusted to the low lighting, they looked around. There were two couches and a bookcase on one side and a small kitchen and table on the other. Clarke moved to sit with O on one sofa. Wells sat on the other while Bellamy looked around the kitchen.

“Why were you following us?” asked Clarke. She knew he had to have been, that would only be one explanation.

Bellamy didn’t looked up from his search, replying “I was looking out for my sister. There are Grounders around, remember”

“Aha” he exclaimed suddenly, holding up what looked like a bottle of whisky. He walked over and sat on the sofa next to Wells, opening the bottle and taking a quick swig. The whisky causing him to choke. “Well I think that’s definitely okay to drink” he said offering it to Wells.

“We don’t want any” said Wells.

Clarke felt her blood boil. How dare Wells just say that without asking either herself or Octavia. “Give it here” she said defiantly as she reached across and grabbed the bottle from Bellamy and took a swig. The alcohol burnt her throat and made her eyes water. She turned to Octavia and croaked “Want some?”

“No, O. You are not allowed” said Bellamy

Octavia ignored him, taking the bottle from Clarke with a grateful nod and having a swig. She coughed immediately and said “It's awful but I love it. We should see if there is more.” Before passing the bottle back to Clarke.

After a few more swigs, Clarke gave the bottle back to Bellamy. He looked at her with raised eyebrows. Yes, she was feeling a little warm and perhaps she was a little drunk but she did feel good. Octavia curled up on the couch, leaning on Clarke while moving her shoulder under Clarke’s arm. Clarke sighed and snuggled in too. She could feel Bellamy’s eyes watching her from across the room but it was Wells who spoke first.

“Hey Clarke, this reminds me of the time we hid in my Dad’s office and ended up getting locked in for hours. Do you remember?”

“Yes. I also remember how you got my Dad killed. And how you got me locked up” she said pointedly.

Wells sighed. It was silent for a minute before Clarke continued “So since you brought it up. Why did you do it, Wells?”

Wells avoided her gaze and didn’t reply so she went on “I told you in confidence... as a friend. I trusted you but I bet you couldn’t wait to go running back to Daddy and spill the beans”. Clarke could feel Octavia gently rubbing her arm in an attempt to comfort her.

“I made a mistake, Clarke” said Wells finally

“I made a mistake, Clarke” she imitated back to him. “A mistake? That’s a joke. I lost my Dad. The ONLY person in this world who ever gave a damn about me and all you can say is you made a mistake!”

“Look I don’t want to talk to you about it, okay” he said, sighing.

“Boy, you really a barrel of fun, Princess” said Bellamy in an obvious attempt to change the direction the conversation was going in.

“I can be fun” she said quickly

“I’m sure you can be” said Bellamy, his voice dropping to a raspy whisper. Clarke’s eyes leapt to his and she could see his dark eyes burning with something. What was it? Lust? Desire? Challenge? Probably all three. And she couldn’t look away.

Octavia looked knowingly from one to other and back again. She smiled. “Come on Clarke. Neither of us slept much last night. Let’s get a few extra zzz’s now.”


	14. A Future Here

Clarke POV

The fog cleared a few hours later and the group made their way back to camp. Clarke’s high from the whisky had worn off and now all she felt was miserable. Even finding a knife in the shelter kitchen hadn't cheered her up. She'd tucked it into one of her boots before the others noticed. She might need it if Jasper's wound became badly infected. As they got near camp, the peace was broken by a loud scream. Bellamy took off immediately in the direction of the noise. Giving her backpack to Octavia, Clarke said “you guys go into camp and get some water boiling so we can make Jasper some tea from the seaweed".

Clarke turned and ran after Bellamy. She found him sitting on his knees over a body on the ground. Atom. One of the group of boys helping Bellamy to carry out his wristband scheme. She knelt down on the other side of Atom and looked at him. He had obviously been caught out in the toxic fog. His skin was covered in lesions, blisters and boils. His eyes had clouded over and he was having trouble breathing. If this was the state of his skin, Clarke could only imagine what the inside of his lungs looked like. No doubt they were filling with blood as she looked on.

She looked up to meet Bellamy’s eyes and shook her head sadly. “He begged me to kill him, Clarke” he whispered, looking down at the knife in his hand. She took a deep breath. Conceal. Don’t Feel. And then plastered a fake smile on her face, speaking to Atom in a soft voice.

“Okay. I’m going to help you”

Clarke began to gently stroke Atom’s hair, as she leaned over him. She could hear him softly asking her to kill him. She continued stroking him comfortingly and began to hum a lullaby she remembered her Dad taught her as a kid. Reaching across his body, she took the knife out of Bellamy’s hand and positioned it against Atom’s neck. Still humming, she quickly and efficiently slid the knife into his neck and out again. Atom took one more gurgling breath and died. 

Clarke continued to hum and stroke his hair for a moment before taking a deep breath, raising her tear-filled eyes to Bellamy. His face was frozen in shock and something else – was it admiration or gratitude? She couldn’t tell. The tears were silently falling down her face now as she said “I’m sorry, Bellamy. I know he was your friend” before quietly getting up and making her was back to camp towards the boy she knew she could save.

\--0—

Bellamy POV

Bellamy couldn’t believe his eyes. He had known their only choice was to give Atom a merciful death but he hadn’t been able to do it himself. Instead he’d watched in awe as Clarke had pulled herself together and quietly relieved Atom’s suffering, while simultaneously comforting the both of them. 

He’d accused her of not being able to make the hard decisions but the truth was, he was the one who had faltered. He’d seen how much it had taken out of her as she looked at him afterwards, tears streaming silently. She'd taken his burden and shouldered it as her own. He couldn’t really deny it any longer. His Princess was strong but she was also kind and loving. Look at the way she had bonded with Octavia in such a short time. The sight of his two girls together, sleeping peacefully in each other arms had been like an earthquake across his heart. But after this, he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to deny what his heart wanted. The Princess.

As he stood up, Wells approached saying “I’ve begun preparing a grave for him. Do you want help carrying the body?”

Bellamy nodded and the two boys carried Atom to the area just outside camp. The worked silently and once the task was done, Wells moved to stand beside Bellamy before reciting the Ark burial poem:

“In peace, may you leave this shore. In love, may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels, until our final journey to the ground. May we meet again.”

“May we meet again” repeated Bellamy.

As he walked back into camp, he called over Murphy and told him what had happened. "Any further thoughts on how we get the wristband of the Princess?" asked Murphy.

“Yeah. A few. but first we need to build a wall to keep out the Grounders. And I want everyone warned about the toxic fog and what to do when it happens. Get a group together and use the fallen trees to start the wall.”

“It’s time we started planning for our future here.”


	15. Girl's got Skills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the scene that came to me first before the rest of the story. It was in my brain for several days before I decided I would HAVE to write it. I hope I've done it justice.
> 
> There's a hint of smut - well diversionary smut but still there. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Please don't be a silent reader

Clarke POV

Clarke exited the dropship later that evening. Jasper’s fever had broken and he was starting to improve. The seaweed tea had worked wonders. She’d have to make sure they had a supply on hand at all times because she suspected this wouldn’t be the last time they would need it. Of course, it meant she’d missed dinner again. And the after effects of the alcohol had given her headache. Maybe some fresh air would clear her head.

Clarke turned and made her way out of camp and into the forest. She found a small clearing nearby and leant against a tree, taking deep breaths in. The smell of the forest was something she was sure she would always treasure. Looking up, she saw the stars. She’d only ever seen them from space before. The night sky was deep inky black, filled with twinkling lights. Clarke’s overactive brain began to quickly searching for any constellations she could recognise.

After a few moments of peace, she heard someone walking up quietly beside her. She knew who it was but she had no idea when she had learned to recognise his footfall. 

Bellamy.

“Hey Princess”. His voice sounded a bit strangled and Clarke quickly turned to look at him. His face was in the shadows but she could tell he was trying not to look at her. What was he hiding?

“What do you want, Bellamy?” she said, growing tired of his ambiguity.

“Now there’s a question”, he replied vaguely.

Clarke moved away from the tree coming to stand in front of Bellamy. “Just say it, for god’s sake. What do you want? I’m sick of playing games with you… oompf... ”

Before Clarke could utter another sound she found herself being dragged closer to Bellamy as his mouth descended on hers. For a second the world stopped and her brain couldn’t function. His lips may be chapped but they were soft and moved across hers in a gentle kiss. How could one relatively platonic kiss be better than the clumsy fumbling of her past? Her body was on fire as one of his arms wrapped around her back while the other went to hold her wrist.

Wait a minute. Her wrist? Why was he holding her wrist? Suddenly it all fell into place. He was after her wristband. The kiss was purely a diversion. The bastard! Well two could play at that game. 

Forcing herself to regain control of her body, she broke the kiss looking up into his eyes. He looked wary. Smiling what she hoped was a seductive smile, Clarke took a step closer, plastering her body to him and smashed her lips onto his forcefully. Her tongue flicked out to lick his bottom lip. She heard him gasp in surprise, opening his mouth. She immediately slipped her tongue inside beginning to dual with his. He groaned and she felt both his arms wrap around her now, bringing her closer still. She could feel his hard chest, crushed against her breasts and felt a growing warmth spread across her stomach and between her legs. She wanted to drown in the sensation but knew that would mean certain defeat. 

Their tongues battled for supremacy as he pulled her against his pelvis and she felt just how much he desired her. She was unable to help the moan that escaped her as he moved his lips across her jaw and down to the pulse point at her neck, sucking and biting it. Clarke was finding it very difficult to maintain her focus on the end game now. She threw her head back as he lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around his hip, bringing their heated cores together. 

Then it happened. She felt another hand grasp her wrist but this was not Bellamy. She formed a fist and quickly flipped her wrist up in the direction of her new assailant. She heard a groan and felt warm liquid on her knuckles. Good, she got his nose.

Stepping immediately back from Bellamy she shoved him hard against the tree and reached down into her boots to pull out the knife from the shelter and Bellamy’s knife. Thank god she’d hidden it in her boot after she killed Atom. Bellamy was beginning to move away from the tree so she threw both knives at him instantly, knowing from years of practice that her aim would be true. The knives caught the material of his jacket on either shoulder and pinned it to the tree. She heard him gasp in surprise as he tried to move towards her but found himself trapped. She had other things to deal with.

Turning she saw Dax holding a bloody nose while Murphy came at her with a knife. How predictable, she thought, they thought she would be a walkover. What neither boy knew was that Clarke’s Dad had prepared her for this type of scenario. He knew being an Alpha made her a target and had trained her in self-defence and combat techniques. She brought up her firsts and circled around Murphy. He lunged at her but she side-stepped him easily and punched him hard in the guts. He looked up, even angrier than before, thrusting the knife at her. She avoided the blade and grabbed his arm before smashing her fist into his elbow. He yelped in pain and dropped the knife, so she punched him full in the face and kicked his ribs, before sweeping her leg across his to make him fall. She turned to see Dax moving towards her, his bloody nose forgotten.

“You bitch” he said.

“Can’t take your own medicine, Dax?” Clarke replied calmly.

It was all too easy. Dax was just acting on instinct and in no time Clarke had landed two punches and he was on the ground too. Clarke stood over them both, her hands raised in a defence posture for a few moments before looking around to see Bellamy gaping at her – still pinned to the tree - his face a mixture of admiration and irritation. She'd bested him.

She put her hands on her hips and walked towards him suggestively, only stopping when her body was once more plastered against his. Looking up to meet his gaze, she leaned in close, dropping her voice to a husky tone and whispered in his ear. 

“You thought three of you could overpower me? Really, Bellamy? Frankly, I’m a little bit insulted.” She leaned closer to pull the two knives from the tree and release him, ensuring she was giving him a good view of her cleavage as she did it. Yes, he was definitely look down now. 

“Thanks for the kiss though. It was... nice..." she turned to walk away before looking back and winking "but I’m sure you can do better...”

With that she walked away, knowing that he was watching her with hooded eyes as she made her way back to camp.


	16. Everyone needs a Raven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tiny bit of smut - or smut reflection. Bellamy can't think straight so what you gonna do.
> 
> Enjoy

Bellamy POV

What the hell just happened? 

But he knew the answer to that question. The Princess had happened. 

He’d watched her confidently fight both Murphy and Dax. At no point did she panic. She was in control the whole time, watching them closely and countering every move. She’d certainly worked out what he was up to pretty quickly. He’d been enjoying the gentle kiss, hoping Murphy wouldn’t move in too quickly to remove her wristband. Then she’d taken him completely by surprise. Plastering herself to him and thrusting her tongue into his mouth in a battle for dominance.

He’d been so turned on, he couldn’t think straight. He'd soon forgotten what he was supposed to be doing. He’d pulled her closer so he could feel her soft curves against his body, lifting her leg to wrap it around his hips and grind himself against her. Lord how on earth was he going to get her out of his mind now he knew how passionate she was. He needed to find somewhere private to deal with his arousal soon because he couldn’t go back to camp with a raging hard on. He saw Murphy and Dax stirring on the ground and made a decision, quickly walking away into the forest for some much needed privacy.

Damn Princess!

\--0—

The next morning Bellamy woke alone. He’d had plenty of offers from the girls around camp but couldn’t even contemplate it. His head was full of the Princess. It was early and most of the camp were still asleep.

Getting up to stretch, he looked up to see an object falling through the sky. Is that a dropship? Jesus, no! Moving quickly, he picked up a knife and ran quietly through the forest towards the ship. After 30 minutes, he noticed a burning smell and knew he was close by. The trees cleared and he saw a small shuttle had crashed just near a river. He rushed forward and opened the shuttle door to see the pilot unconscious in their seat. 

Good, this was the opportunity he needed. He reached forward grabbing the shuttle radio and pulling it out, wires and all. He shut the door and ran off towards the water. When he reached the bank, he threw the radio into river with all his might, before turning and making his way back to camp whistling.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke woke up early, unable to sleep after the previous night’s events. She rolled over and saw Octavia watching her quietly. They’d spent the night on their makeshift bed in the dropship again, with Miller, Monty and Jasper sleeping peacefully on the other side of the room. 

“You were saying Bellamy’s name in your sleep” she said quietly.

Fuck! Fuck! Think quickly, Griffin.

“Yeah I had a nightmare he was trying to cut my hand off to get to my wristband” she said quickly

“Hmm…” replied Octavia, “It didn’t really sound like a nightmare. In fact, it sounded like you didn’t want him to stop... doing whatever... he was doing to you...” She finished with smirk. Was that a Blake thing? “You know he’s really not a bad guy, underneath it all. And I think, you’d be good for him... wait a minute, what's that?" Octavia moved closer to examine Clarke's neck. "Is that a hickey?" She exclaimed

Shit! Shit! Shit! She hadn't realised that had been what Bellamy was doing! “Tavia, can we not talk about this please?” begged Clarke, a blush rising in her cheeks.

“It was my brother that did that? Wasn't it? I’m quite happy to pretend you don’t like him but we both know you do." Clarke admired that about Octavia. She called a spade a spade so you always knew exactly what she was thinking.

Thinking about what she had said, Clarke was speechless for a minute. Did she like Bellamy? She was certainly attracted to him and felt she was well on her way to being addicted to being near him, but like him? No, she couldn’t go there. He’d made it very clear, he didn’t like her or anything she stood for.

“So changing the subject, what’s the deal with Wells?” asked Octavia

“What do you mean?” Now where was this conversation going…

“Hmm. It’s just that he’s normally a straight up guy. You ask him a question and he's honest and forthright in his answer. But when we were in the shelter yesterday and you asked him about your Dad, he became very vague and didn’t want to talk… It just doesn’t seem like him.”

“You are sure it was him that turned you both in?”

“Yes”, replied Clarke quickly, “he was the only person I told. I didn’t even tell Miller”

“But was he the only person who knew?” asked Octavia thoughtfully

Clarke thought about it. Was he the only person? No, there was one other person. Abby. Her mother. Her train of thought was disturbed by shouting outside. 

“What’s going on?” said Octavia.

“No idea. Coming to find out?” said Clarke. Both girls got up and made their way out of the dropship. Clarke saw Finn run past, stopping him with her arm. “What’s going on?”

“A ship has landed. We think it must be down near the river.” He noticed her hickey and winked at her. A wave of disgust rolled over Clarke. She knew he had been with at least four other girls in the few days since their arrival. Creep. 

Clarke turned to Octavia nodding and they both took off running in the direction of the river. They were almost there when they came across Bellamy. Clarke stopped so suddenly, Octavia crashed into the back of her and they ended up in a heap of arms and legs on the forest floor.

Bellamy stood over them, “Morning ladies. Are you having trouble there?” he asked cheekily.

A deep blush slowly spread over Clarke’s entire face as she remembered their kiss the previous evening (Was it just called that? It had felt like a lot more?). And never mind the hickey... Octavia took the hand Bellamy offered and hauled herself up, taking in Clarke’s blush and Bellamy’s smirk.

Bellamy held his hand out to Clarke too. She reluctantly took it and felt a jolt of electricity go through her where their skin touched as she jumped up. “Th-Thank you” she stammered trying not to meet his gaze. She saw his eyes sweep down to take in the hickey on her neck before moving swiftly back up to meet her stare. Then he smirked, looking even more pleased with himself if that was possible. 

Bellamy laughed and said “So what brings you ladies out into the forest this morning? A morning run? Decided to try some cardio after all, Princess?”

Octavia answered. “A ship has come down from the Ark near the river. We’re on our way to find it. I hope they have bought some shampoo with them.”

Clarke moved past Bellamy muttering under her breath and resumed the walk to the landing site. She could hear Octavia and Bellamy talking behind her but could only catch odd words from their discussion. “… like her”, “stay out of it, O”, “wanted… sister”, “… made her blush then?”

Groaning Clarke sped up to put some distance between them, hurrying forward to the clearing where the ship had landed. She ran to the shuttle door, just as the pilot began to regain consciousness.

“Are you okay?” Clarke asked.

The dark haired girl took her helmet off and said “don’t tell me I made it?”

“Welcome home to earth” said Clarke quietly as she helped the girl out of the ship, “I’m Clarke Griffin”

“I’m Raven. You're Clarke? Abby’s daughter?”

“Yes” How could this girl know my mother? she thought.

“But this whole thing was your mom’s idea. She was supposed to come down with me but didn’t make in time for launch. We needed to know if the earth is survivable because they are getting ready to cull 320 people up there to save oxygen”

“What?” squeaked Clarke “We have to warn them!”

“I’ll radio in now” said Raven. She turned back to her ship. “Wait a minute where is the radio? How can it be gone?”

But Clarke had a good idea how it could be gone. She turned to look at Bellamy with an arched brow. “Care to enlighten us, Bellamy?”

“What?” he said. He couldn’t meet Clarke’s gaze and that was when she knew what happened.

“What did you do with it, Bellamy? Did you not hear what Raven said? They are getting ready to kill 320 people to save oxygen and you can bet they won’t be from Alpha! They’ll be your people”

“What did you do with the radio, Bellamy?" added Octavia

“Wait… Bellamy?... Bellamy Blake?” asked Raven, “They’re looking for you everywhere”

What? Clarke moved back to Raven, “why would they be looking for him?”

Bellamy looked ashamed and couldn’t meet her eyes.

Raven continued, “He shot Jaha”

“What?” said Clarke and Octavia together.

“He deserved it” said Bellamy defensively. “Think of all the people he has floated”

“Yeah, he’s not my favourite either but you should know, he didn’t die. You must have lousy aim” teased Raven caustically.

Just then Finn burst through the trees, “Raven?” he shouted

“Finn!” Raven cried as she ran towards him and launched herself into his arms.

Moving close to Bellamy, Clarke said “Do you hear that Bellamy?” She gently put her hand on his arm, as his eyes met hers. All she saw was fear and self-loathing reflected in them. 

“You’re not a killer, Bellamy. You did what you had to do to protect Octavia. It’s all you’ve ever done.” She didn’t know how she knew this, how she knew him so well but she was sure it was absolutely true. Clarke saw his eyes widen in shock as he acknowledged her words. She’d been right.

“Where’s the radio, Bellamy?” Clarke asked, gently this time. Her hand still on his arm.

“I threw it in the river” he admitted “I’m sorry. If they come down here, they are going to kill me. Even if Jaha is still alive. I shot him, Clarke. He’s not going to forgive that. I can’t risk Octavia being unprotected”

“Can you show me where you threw it in please?

Bellamy walked to the river and showed Clarke and Octavia where he had thrown the radio. Clarke immediately waded in to retrieve it. She could hear Octavia and Bellamy having a shouting match on the river bank. As she made her way back to land, she heard Bellamy yell “My life ended when you were born. Have you any idea what that was like for me?"

Octavia screamed in frustration, before shouting “Well I’ll do you a favour. I’m not your problem anymore. Not your responsibility. Don’t do ANYTHING for me EVER AGAIN. Just leave me alone” before storming off into the forest.

Clarke moved to Bellamy and took his hand in hers. She ignored the tremor of awareness that passed through her and said “She’ll come around Bellamy. Give her time”

“I should never have said that to her. None of this is her fault”

“I know” She moved away sliding her hand down his back in comfort before passing the radio to Raven.

“It’ll take at least a day to dry this out” said Raven, “they’ll all be dead by then”

The group exchanged sad looks as Finn said to Raven "Come on Sweetheart, let me show you your new home"

Clarke walked back to camp alongside Bellamy. Neither said a word. Both were deep in thought. Clarke thoughts kept coming back to her early morning conversation with Octavia. She needed to find Wells and ask him a question.


	17. Who's the real villain here?

Clarke POV

It was still relatively early when the group returned to camp. Clarke immediately went in search of Wells. She found him helping a group of delinquents to collect large logs to build a wall around the camp. 

“Wells?” she said tentatively

Wells turned quickly, unable to hide the look of surprise that Clarke was talking to him.

“Can I talk to you for a minute… please?” she added. Wells nodded and led Clarke to the area of camp immediately behind the dropship. No one ventured around this area so it would be relatively private. For a moment, Clarke just looked at Wells as he shifted uncomfortably, waiting to hear what she had to say.

Suddenly Wells said “Clarke, is that a hickey?”

Of god, how could she explain it?

Taking a deep breath, she began, “Wells, I don’t want to talk about that…” she paused before continuing, “I know I probably don’t deserve it after the way I have treated you, but I need to know the truth.”

“It was Abby… wasn’t it?” Wells looked away trying to avoid meeting Clarke’s eyes so she continued, “My mom was the one who told Jaha about Dad… Who got my Dad floated? Who got me arrested and put in solitary? Wells… please…”

Wells nodded

“I didn’t want to believe it… I couldn’t…. Why did you let me blame you?” Clarke continued.

“I knew how you would feel”, whispered Wells, “I wanted to protect you.”

“So you let me hate you?” 

“What are friends for?” he replied

“Can you ever forgive me?”

“It’s already done”, he said as he held out his arms to Clarke. She moved towards him sobbing as she hugged him.

\--0—

As Clarke and Wells walked back to the main camp area, Miller and Monty appeared from the dropship carrying large amounts of parachute material.

“Hey Griff… Wells” said Miller. “Monty had a great idea that we could use the material from the dropship parachutes and the seating frames to make tents. It would be nice to not have to sleep on a metal floor”

Wells agreed before saying “I’ll get back to building the wall” He gave Clarke’s shoulder a quick squeeze before walking off. 

“Nice hickey Griff. I wondered where you went to last night. Don’t think I didn’t see you sneaking out of the dropship. So who’s the lucky guy?” said Miller cheekily.

Clarke raised an eyebrow and gave him a hard stare.

“God… the infamous Griff death stare! Okay I won’t push it but you will tell me soon because I need to make sure he deserves you.” He turned to watch Wells, “You talking to him now?”

“Yeah. Seems like just when I think I have dealt with all the shit in my crappy life, more arrives.” Clarke replied wearily.

At his puzzled look, she continued “Wells didn’t turn me and my Dad in. It was Abby.”

“What the fuck?” he exclaimed, “Your mom was the one who betrayed you both?”

“Yeah… Fuck My Life, right? … I just wish there was some way I could let her know that I know. Some way I could make her feel some of the pain I feel… ”

Clarke stood for a minute lost in thought then quickly strode off across camp.

“Griff?” called Miller, “Griff, what you going to do?” 

“Find Bellamy” was the reply.

\--0—

Bellamy POV

Bellamy had tried to take his mind off the fact that he had just caused 320 people to die, by doing something constructive. He assigned jobs to different groups of delinquents in an attempt to bring some order to their camp. They definitely needed to establish something more permanent than sleeping under trees. Monty and Miller had come to him with the idea of building some tents as shelters using parts of the dropship, which was nothing short of genius. He’d given them a group of 10 delinquents to help.

Other kids were building a fire pit, while others worked on the wall. He’d sent Murphy out with another group to hunt for food. Hopefully they would find something substantial as the kids were getting sick of living of nuts and berries.

He was in the middle of a conversation with Jasper about having a still when he heard someone walk up behind him. Jasper and Monty had made their own moonshine on the Ark and wanted to do the same now. Jasper was trying to convince him that it would be good for morale. Bellamy agreed but he didn’t want to say so too quickly.

He felt a hand on his arm and heard a quiet voice say “Bellamy? Can I speak to you privately for a minute please?" He knew who it was. The Princess. Was it wrong that he hoped she wanted to get back to what they had been doing last night?

Get your head in the game, Blake!

“Okay Jasper. If you think you can make it work, give it a try” he said before turning to Clarke and gesturing to the nearby forest, “Why don’t we step into my office, Princess?” smirking.

They walked into forest for a few moments until they could talk without anyone hearing them. He stopped and turned to face Clarke. She looked unsure of what to do and was biting her bottom lip nervously. His eyes fell to her lips, before quickly looking away. The last thing he needed was to let her know how much she affected him.

After a few more minutes of silence, Clarke took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders and held out her arm. “I want you to take it off”, her voice sounding firm and decisive.

Bellamy looked on in confusion. What exactly did she want him to take off? His shirt? Her shirt? His confusion must have been evident because she continued, “The wristband… I want you to take off my wristband”

His eyes immediately flew to hers in astonishment. Last night she had fought Murphy and Dax, never mind himself, to keep that wristband where it was and now she was offering it up without wanting anything in return.

“Why?”

“Does it matter why?”

“You didn’t seem keen on the idea last night. In fact, Murphy and Dax are both carrying the signs of how much you DIDN’T want that!” Bellamy was beginning to lose his temper but he couldn’t stop himself. She just frustrated him without even having to try.

“And what about the damage you did to my jacket?” he continued angrily, “I suppose I should be thankful the holes aren’t in me instead given how quickly you threw those knives.”

“Yeah well. If you hadn’t ambushed me, your jacket would be fine… I’m not the fragile, pathetic Alpha Princess you take me for! I knew exactly what I was doing!” she yelled back, trying to quell the blush in her cheeks from memories of their encounter.

“You could’ve hit me in the face with those knives!” Bellamy said as he took a step towards her. Clarke looked angry now. He watched as she moved closer to him so she could yell in his face.

“I’ve spent years learning how to throw knives. You were never in any danger. And I’m the one who should be angry with you! You marked me! I’ve had nothing but questions all day about this hickey.” She pulled her shirt away from her neck as she was speaking, giving Bellamy an uniterrupted view of her smooth, pale skin.

Bellamy felt a flash of pride run through him as he took in the dark circle marking her neck. He was quite proud of that hickey, even if he did say so himself. He’d caught a few people looking at it today, wonderingly. Octavia suspected it was him but he was sure no one else did. 

He looked down at the hickey again, then back up at Clarke. A look crossed her face which made him think she'd just realised how close she was now standing to him. He could feel her breath crossing his face. She looked like she wanted to step away but he knew she would never do it. Doing so would be an admission of defeat and she was going to fight him all the way.

Their eyes met. Bellamy knew he should look away but he couldn’t. He was transfixed by the passion and anger he could she clearly, like blue steel whirling in her eyes. His gaze dropped to her lips for a moment then back to her eyes. He could see the flash of desire as her eyes widened. 

Suddenly she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before stepping backwards away from him. she'd conceded. She looked down, refusing to meet his gaze and whispered “Please just take the damn wristband off me?”

Taking a breath to centre himself and quell the raging fire in his body, he spoke quietly, “I need to understand why if you want me to do it.”

She raised her eyes to meet his briefly before sighing and turning away. He could see her shoulders trembling and it took a moment to realise she was crying.

“Clarke?” he said reaching out to touch her shoulder.

She turned back, tears falling silently down her face. “My mom betrayed me and my Dad. She’s the reason my Dad is dead and I was put in solitary…” she paused to take a shaky breath before continuing, “I thought it was Wells but it wasn’t. It was Abby…”

She was quiet for a while. Bellamy had no idea what to say or what to do. How did you deal with something like that? He’d never known his father and he’d sometimes hated his mother for the situation she had put both him and Octavia in. But he knew his mother would never betray them.

“Abby is the one who designed the wristbands. She’ll be monitoring the data being sent back.”

“So you want to punish her? To make her think you are dead?” Bellamy had worked it out now. She was mad and wanted her mother to know it.

“Yes”

“You sure, Princess?” he asked gently

“I know it’s wrong but I’m too angry to change my mind. Plus it will only be temporary anyway. Once the Ark comes down in a few weeks, she’ll see I’m fine… If I’m still alive by then” she added in an attempt at wry humour.

Bellamy took Clarke’s arm and pulled them both down until the were crouching near the ground. He carefully placed her arm across a nearby fallen log. 

“I’ll try not to hurt you but you have to hold still.” She nodded in reply. Bellamy took out a knife and worked it under the wristband slowly. The wristband was tight on her skin. Inevitably the knife cut her as he prized the catch open.

“Sorry” he said, as the wristband fell to the floor.

Clarke reached out and caught his wrist with her hand and looked into his eyes.

“Thank you, Bellamy”

There was something unidentifiable in her expression that hit him right in his gut. He was suddenly hyper-aware of where her fingers were wrapped around his wrist. The skin burned under her touch.

After a few moments, she dropped his wrist and stood up, walking back to camp.

Bellamy sat pondering what had just happened. She wasn’t like anyone he had ever met before. She was fire and ice, all in one. One minute he wanted to scream at her, the next he wanted to kiss her senseless. He laughed to himself, his life had gone from grey monotony to full living technicolour and it would certainly never be boring again. Not with the Princess around.


	18. Bring her back safely

Clarke POV

Clarke was happy with her decision to remove her wristband. There were still enough delinquents with theirs on, so the Ark would see the ground was safe for inhabitation. She’d be working to help Miller and Monty build tents and they had made good progress. More kids had to come to join them so that now there were about 40 people working on it. They would have at least 20 tents built by nightfall. At 5 people to a tent that meant everyone would find shelter.

The hunting group had returned with two wild boars, which were currently being cooked over the new fire pit. Yes, the camp was coming together nicely. She didn’t want to admit it but Bellamy was doing a good job of leading the camp, convincing the kids to work as a team to make it more survivable. 

Hmm Bellamy. She really didn’t know what to make him. Sometimes his actions were nothing short of completely selfish. She couldn’t believe he’d destroyed the radio but once she learnt about what he’d done to get a place on the dropship, she had understood why he’d been so keen to prevent the Ark joining them. She thought about how he was with Octavia. He'd virtually raised her alone since he was 5 years old and would clearly do anything for her. Clarke wondered if there was anyone in her life who would go to such lengths for her. Depressingly, she realised the answer was no. Not now her father was dead.

Wait a minute, she thought. Where is Octavia? She hadn’t seen her since the argument with Bellamy by the river earlier that morning. Octavia had stormed off. A sudden sinking feeling began to take over. Clarke quickly looked around and couldn’t see Octavia anyway. Bellamy was standing by the fire pit talking to Murphy. She ran towards his without hesitation.

“Bellamy… BELLAMY!”

He turned unexpectedly, causing her to crash into him. His arms sprang out to catch her elbows and steady her. Heat spiraling up her arms like electricity.

“Careful there, PRINCESS” said Murphy sarcastically, “anyone would think you had a crush”

“Shut Up, Murphy” said both Bellamy and Clark simultaneously.

“What is it, Princess?” said Bellamy, still holding her.

“Octavia… I haven’t seen her since the river this morning. Have you?”

A look of dread crossed Bellamy’s face. “Now you mention it, no. She usually takes a few hours to cool down. I guess I assumed she was with you and would come and find me when she was ready.”

“I’ll check the dropship” said Clarke, “You check with everyone onsite” Clarke could tell that Bellamy wanted to argue with her for a moment. She knew she'd just effectively ordered him about but her concern for Octavia was paramount. “Please... ” she added before moving away to the dropship.

Bellamy found Clarke 15 minutes later as she walked out of the dropship, after having checked all three floors. “Any joy?” he asked.

“No”. Clarke was really concerned now, “We’re going to have to go out and search for her”

“No” said Bellamy, “I’m going to take a group out to search for her. You are going to stay here and eat something. You haven’t eaten in two days. I can’t have our only healer get sick”

“But... ”

“No, Clarke” he interrupted. “You stay”

Bellamy turned to address the assembled crowd of delinquents. “I need a few volunteers to come with me to search for my sister. She’s been missing since this morning”.

Both Wells and Miller stepped forward immediately, quickly followed by Finn and Raven.

“No, Raven” said Clarke quietly, “You need to focus on getting that radio working.”

Raven nodded and kissed Finn goodbye. Soon a group of 8 were preparing to leave, arming themselves as best they could with makeshift knives and other weapons. Clarke moved to the group giving Wells and Miller a hug. She turned and found herself face to face with Bellamy. She wanted to hug him for luck too but felt that would be a bad idea, particularly in front of the whole camp.

“Bring Octavia back to me safely”, she said, “and don’t get hurt in the process… please…” Their eyes met briefly, before he nodded and led the group out of camp.


	19. We'll Make Do as Usual

Clarke POV

Some hours later, Clarke was sitting by the fire with Raven, Monty and Jasper. They’d eaten well and she’d made sure enough food had been saved for Octavia and the search party. She just wished they’d hurry back. Monty was in the middle of a discussion with Raven about fixing the radio when a shout came from the camp gate. 

“Clarke! ... Quick, get Clarke”

Clarke leapt up and ran to the gate. In the dark, she could make out two guys carrying someone. Oh please don’t be Bellamy or Octavia, she thought. Hang on, she’d have to think about THAT later. Moving towards them, she saw the person being carried was Wells. And those carrying him were Bellamy and Miller. Octavia was hurrying behind telling them to put Wells in the dropship.

Clarke ran forward to meet them. A large knife was sticking out of Wells’ chest. 

“He’s been stabbed by a Grounder” said Bellamy, “I remembered reading somewhere it was best to leave the knife in so we have”

“Yes, that’s exactly the right thing to do” said Clarke, taking a quick look at the wound. “Get him in to the dropship”

She turned and yelled, “Raven, Monty”. They quickly ran up, “I don’t care how you do it but you NEED to get that radio working. I need Abby to guide me with this”

“On it” said Raven before grabbing Monty and dragging him into the dropship.

Bellamy and Miller carried Wells into the dropship and placed him on the makeshift table Clarke had been using to treat people.

“Are you okay to do this, Griff?” asked Miller, the concern evident in his voice.

“Of course she is” said Bellamy confidently, meeting Clarke’s eyes with a smile of reassurance. She did her best to cover her fear and put what she hoped was a confident look on her face.

“What do you need from us, Clarke” asked Octavia from her side.

Clarke turned and hugged her. “Well I needed that first. I’m so glad you’re safe, Tavia”. She turned to look back at Wells and began firing off orders.

“Jasper, go and get me as much of that moonshine as you can carry”

“Bellamy, Tavia, I’m going to need something to use to close the wound. Anything you can fashion into a needle and something that could be used as thread.”

“Miller get that crowd of people out of here and away from the dropship”

Everyone jumped into action. Bellamy squeezed Clarke’s shoulder as he went past, saying quietly “I know you’ve got this, Princess.”

Within 10 minutes, Jasper had brought back two jugs of moonshine, while Octavia had stripped some wiring from the dropship mainframe to use as thread. Bellamy was quickly shaping a thin strip of metal into a needle with a large rock. Clarke had bound the wound as best she could to stay the bleeding, so all they could do now was wait for the radio.

“Calling Ark Station. Calling Ark Station” said Raven, “Come in Ark Station”, only to be greeted by static. 

“Calling Ark Station. Calling Ark Station”

Suddenly they heard a faint voice replying, Raven nodded to Monty who made some adjustment to the radio and suddenly the sound was clearer.

“This is Ark station. Please identify yourself”.

“This is Raven Reyes from Mecha Station. I’m with the hundred on the ground. The hundred are alive. We need Dr Abby Griffin immediately”

Clarke then heard the voice of her mother say “Raven. Raven, is that you?”

Clarke stepped forward and said “Abby?”

“Clarke?” came the reply, “I thought you were dead! I’m so relieved to hear your voice, sweetheart. Are you okay?”

Clarke’s eyes met Bellamy’s briefly before she interrupted, “We have a medical emergency. One of us has been stabbed by a Grounder and I need your help”

“Clarke” said a different voice. She recognised it as the Chancellor and Wells’ father, Jaha and looked at Bellamy again, her eyes pleading with him to stay quiet.

“Clarke, are you saying there are survivors on the ground?” he continued.

“Yes. The earth is survivable. We are not alone here. There are survivors from the apocalypse”

“Is my son with you?” he asked

“Wells is... he's the one who got stabbed. I need to talk to my mother to help him... please”

“Of course, take over Abby” he said

Clarke described the location of the knife and answered Abby’s questions about Wells’ condition and the wound. Their conversation professional and impersonal. 

Another male voice came over the radio now, “Clarke, its Jackson”

“Jax?” Clarke smiled, sounding happy for the first time, “It’s nice to finally hear a friendly voice”

“Right back at you, kiddo” he replied, “I’ve put the information you'e given us into our computer simulation. You need to lift the knife up and slightly to the left as you remove it”

“Okay how far to the left”

“Exactly 3 degrees. More would be damage internal organs and less would be… bad… you'll nick the aorta You... but you got this though, kiddo. You’ve assisted me in a lot more difficult procedures” Thank god for Jax, thought Clarke.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, muttering under her breath “Get you’re shit together. You got this, Griffin.” She heard Bellamy’s quiet voice at her ear “Yeah, you’ve definitely got this, Princess”. She opened her eyes and tried unsuccessfully to smile at him.

“Okay, Bellamy, Octavia, use the moonshine to wash your hands them come and then hold Wells down for me… I need him to be perfectly still if this is going to work.”

They moved quickly to follow her instructions and soon were stood holding Wells down firmly. Clarke took another deep breath before placing her hands on the knife and moving to what she hoped was 3 degrees to the left. Slowly she pulled the knife out. It came out with a small pop sound as Wells groaned in pain.

“It’s out” said Clarke, leaning in to examine the wound.

“Do you have something to clean and stitch it up with” asked Abby

“Yes, we’ll make do like we always do”. Clarke cleaned the wound with the moonshine before stitching it carefully with the wire. Once she was finished she cleaned the wound again and covered it with some insulation and tape she had sterilised earlier. Leaning back, she wiped her brow with her bloodied hand, putting blood all over her hairline. “It’s done” she said.

Her mother’s voice came over the radio, “Could I possibly speak to alone Clarke?”

Everyone began to leave to give them some privacy. “No, I need a break” said Clarke sternly before walking out of the dropship to the sound of stunned silence.

-0-

An hour later, Clarke was back in the dropship sitting quietly with Wells, waiting for him to regain consciousness. She was worried about how much blood he'd lost and wouldn’t be able to sleep until she was sure he was going to be okay. Everyone had gone out to eat and then sleep, leaving her in the peace and quiet. She could see a shadowed figure standing on the other side of the dropship curtain and somehow knew it was Bellamy. She wondered what he was doing.

The radio then burst back into life and she heard her mother’s voice.

“Ark station calling the hundred. Ark station calling the hundred.”

Clarke walked over and flicked the switch to open communications.

“What do you want, Abby?” she said, her voice hard and frustrated.

“Clarke... How’s Wells?”

“He’s still sleeping but his temperature seems to have returned to normal.”

“Good. I’m so proud of you Clarke. Your Dad would have been so proud of you.”

Clarke bit back a sob, she couldn't deal with this now. “D-d-don’t talk about h-him!” she said with an anguished cry

“Clarke? What’s wrong, honey? I can tell something's wrong? Please talk to me...” Abby replied

Clarke took a deep breath and fought back the tears filling her eyes, “I know what you did. I know it was you… You’re the reason, Dad’s dead! You’re the reason I was spent 2 years in solitary and would no doubt have been killed in a few weeks when I turn 18!” Her voice was stronger now as her anger flared and took over.

There was silence before Abby replied, “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that… Jaha was supposed to talk him out of it but your Dad just wouldn’t relent… I didn’t have a choice, honey”

“NO! You don’t get to call me that! Just fuck off! I’m never talking to you again!” she shouted. Clarke moved quickly to cut off the radio, leaning over the table and letting her tears overtake her. She heard someone come in and walk up slowly behind her. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around her and she was pulled back against a firm chest. She felt a nose push into her hair and she was surrounded by the smell of fire, earth and something uniquely Bellamy. He held her quietly as she sobbed.


	20. Heart to heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just two gals having a chat and sharing their innermost thoughts. Hopefully filling in some of the blanks from Octavia's escapade.
> 
> Dedicated to my friend, JL - you know who you are - who listens when I need to talk. Thank you my friend.
> 
> I don't own The 100
> 
> Please don't be a silent reader.

Clarke POV

Clarke didn’t know how long she stood sobbing in Bellamy’s arms. It could have been five minutes or five hours. He’d stood there silently, letting her cry without judgment or sarcastic comment. She'd never felt so safe or secure. It was confusing. On the one hand, it was so unlike him she was shocked but then she also knew he had a soft caring side – one that he didn’t show to many people. She supposed she should take it as a compliment that he felt comfortable enough to let her see it. 

Finally, her embarrassment took over from her grief and she began to pull herself together. How did she get out of this situation now with her dignity intact? Unable to come up with a clear solution, she wiped her tears on the sleeve of her top and tried to quell the blush now spreading over her skin. Moving quickly to extricate herself from his arms and escape, she mumbled “Thanks” and she rushed past him, out into the night.

Once outside, Clark took in a deep breath then walked to the tent she was sharing with Octavia. Moving inside, she was surprised to find Octavia still awake and staring into space thoughtfully.

“Clarke… how is Wells getting on?” Octavia asked

“He seems to be improving. I’ll feel a lot better once he is awake and I can properly assess his pain level”, Clarke replied, “but enough about Wells, how are you Tavia? What happened to you?”

Octavia’s expression became wary before she said “If I tell you something, will you promise to not tell Bellamy?”

“Well seen as Bellamy and I don’t really get on and we avoid talking as much as possible, I think that is a promise I can definitely keep.” 

Octavia rolled her eyes as if she didn’t really buy Clarke’s ambivalence to her brother.

“I lost my temper with Bellamy this morning so I thought it would be best to walk off my anger before returning to camp. I must’ve wandered into the Grounders' territory because I saw two Grounders with spears coming towards me. I turned to run and tripped over in my rush. It was pretty scary. I thought they were going to kill me.”

“Suddenly another Grounder came running up, shouting at the first two in another language. They both then turned and left, leaving me with him. He came over and felt my ankle to make sure I wasn’t hurt then he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I was kicking and screaming as I am sure you can imagine”

“Christ!” said Clarke, “I would have been petrified”

“Well I was. I had no idea where he was taking me or what for. He carried me back to a cave and sat me down. That’s when I discovered he spoke English. He told me his name was Lincoln and asked me what my name was. He told me a bit about himself and his tribe. He belongs to Trikru which is the tribe that lives in this forest. He told me we had landed on their territory and his Heda... that’s their leader... wasn’t happy about it.”

“I explained that we had been sent down from the Ark and we hadn’t known this was their territory, or that anyone was here at all. He then left to go and get some food. While he was gone, I tried to escape but he caught me and took me back into the cave, chaining me to the cave wall this time. I was pretty freaked out by now”

“He went out again to hunt and came back in about an hour with some food. While he was out, I’d found a large rock and as soon as he came near me, I hit him with it – knocking him out. It was a few minutes later that Bell and the others found me. They had seen him returning from the hunt and had followed him in the hope of getting information but found me instead.”

“Wells found the key to the chain on Lincoln’s belt and gave it to Bell to free me. As he was doing that, Lincoln must’ve woken up and stabbed Wells, who was still standing over him. Miller knocked Lincoln out and we brought Wells back.”

Octavia stopped and stared into space again, before continuing “but the thing is, Clarke... I know this sounds weird but there was something about Lincoln. I don’t think he was going to hurt me. He just didn’t want me to leave because it was dangerous. Yes, I wished he hadn’t chained me up or stabbed Wells but I can understand why he did.”

Clarke thought about it for a few moments before asking, “Are you attracted to him, Tavia?”

“Yes…” she whispered back, “I can’t explain it... I know it's crazy but I’ve never felt like that about anyone before. I know I don’t have much experience of this type of thing but… I just know he is going to be important to me… and it worries me that Bell won’t like it.”

Octavia was clearly upset so Clarke didn’t hesitate to pull her into a hug, rubbing her hand up and down her arm to comfort her. “Whatever happens, Tavia, I’m here to support you… and if that means standing up to Bellamy so you can live your life the way you want to, I’m in.”

“Thank you, Clarke… I’m so glad we met but I don’t want to cause a rift between you and Bell. I know it was him that gave you the hickey…” 

Clarke went to deny it but Octavia continued, “No, don’t deny it. I can definitely feel the tension between you two. I’ve never seen my brother act like that with any other girl.” She smiled suddenly, “I think it’s cute”. 

Cute, thought Clarke? Maybe frustrating, confusing, irritating, unsettling but she would never have called it cute. Clarke liked to be in control and Bellamy made her feel anything but. Her face flushed as she thought back to their kiss. It had been mind-blowing. She had struggled to keep her thoughts coherent enough to fight off Murphy and Dax. All she had wanted to do after the fight, was to go back in Bellamy’s arms and finish what they had started.

No! FUCK, GRIFFIN, GET IT TOGETHER. She had no desire to become just another one of his girls... another one night stand for him. She had more self-respect than that… but oh boy, sometimes she was tempted.

Octavia was watching her closely, with the infamous Blake smirk on her face. “I know what he tried to do” she said eventually, “He told me he tried to distract you so Murphy and Dax could take your wristband. Is that when you got the hickey?”

Clarke snorted and said “Yes, but I had no idea he was doing it or I would certainly have stopped him.”

Octavia laughed at that. “So you did kiss him?”

“Yeah. Well he kissed me first as a distraction but once I realised what he was doing, I decided two could play that game and escalated things but it got a bit out of control... And, well... I ended up climbing him like he was a tree!” She blushed again.

“And?”, Octavia asked trying desperately not to laugh.

“Well your b-b-brother certainly k-knows what he is d-d-doing…” 

Octavia laughed. “Hence the dream where you were moaning his name… Don't worry, I'll never tell him that… He also told me you fought off all three of them by yourself? That you knew how to fight and throw knives?”

Clarke shrugged and said “My father was always paranoid that I would be vulnerable if I didn’t know how to defend myself. We spent years training in combat skills and boxing together. I loved the knife throwing and sword fighting the most…”

“Sword fighting? Cool?” said Octavia

“Yeah it was but I never got to do it with a real sword.”

“Can you teach me, Clarke? I realised today that being able to fight and defend myself is going to be essential down here, especially if I want Bell to see me as being capable”

“Of course. I’d love to. Let’s start tomorrow”

“Thank you, Clarke. You’re the best”

“So are you Tavia. Now enough excitement. I’m shattered. Let’s get some sleep”


	21. Run, Clarke. Run

Bellamy POV

Bellamy kept tossing and turning, trying to sleep. He’d decided to build himself a small tent so he could have it all to himself. It would give him somewhere to go when he needed to get away from the 100 teenagers he was leading. He’d been so exhausted after the day’s events, he thought he would sleep immediately but instead he was lying awake, worrying about Octavia. He'd come so close to losing her. He rolled over trying to get comfortable on the blankets he was using as a bed. No doubt, Octavia was sound asleep in the tent she was sharing with Clarke. 

Clarke. The Princess. She’d been nothing short of amazing today. First trying to help him as he grappled with the guilt of destroying the radio and effectively signing the death warrant for 320 innocent people on the Ark. Then she’d kept calm while saving Wells, steadily removing the knife which could have killed him if she was even out by one millimetre. She’d looked like she was cutting butter rather than doing life threatening surgery in a makeshift, primitive environment. 

She’d also coped with having to speak to her mother so soon after discovering the truth. He was not surprised she’d got angry with her mom when she'd called back. Nor was he surprised that she had broken down afterwards. He had a feeling her mom wouldn't let it go and would try to talk to her again so he'd deliberately stayed near the dropship and had heard the conversation. He knew Clarke probably wanted to be on her own to cry but he couldn’t bear the thought of her being alone in her grief. He’d tried to comfort her the best he could, but he hadn’t known what to say. He hoped the hug had told her what he couldn’t articulate.

She’d seemed embarrassed once she’d got herself back in control. She probably thought he was going to use her weakness against her but he would never do that. If anything, it made him admire her more. She was pure steel, forged under high pressure, and he could only wish he had the same strength.

He thought back to their kiss. He’d never experienced anything like it and Octavia was on to him. She saw through him so easily, trying to hide how he felt from her would be pointless. He wondered if Clarke was confiding in Octavia now. What would she be saying about him? Would Octavia share it with him? Probably not.

Speaking of Octavia, he needed to apologise to her for his hurtful words. He never wanted her to think that he didn’t want her or love her. When he thought he might lose her today, he'd been bereft. He couldn't bear to think his last words to her would be angry and hateful. He knew how lucky he was to have a sister and he would make a point of telling her first thing tomorrow. Yes, he’d start by finding Octavia and Clarke and putting things right.

With that thought, he soon fell asleep with a smile on his face.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke woke up to find Octavia already dressed and grinning at her.

“You were doing it again… Oh… Bell-a-my... don’t stop! “ Octavia said with a laugh, “So what were you dreaming about?”

Clarke blushed so much so she thought her heart might stop because all the blood had rushed to her face. She had been having the hottest sex dream about Bellamy but had woken up suddenly before the dream had properly reached its conclusion. Now she felt all hot and bothered and a little bit frustrated.

Octavia must have read all of this on her face because she began to laugh loudly and roll on the bed imitating Clarke’s moans from her dream. Clarke huffed and quickly got dressed. To her horror, she heard Bellamy say “knock, knock” and walk into their tent. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes falling to Octavia who not having seen him was continuing her impersonation, loudly moaning and saying breathlessly “Oh… bell-a-my… please don’t stop… bell-a-my… ”.

Clarke’s blush grew even more and she looked at the ground wishing it would swallow her whole. Octavia just laughed harder, tears streaming down her face. Bellamy looked from Octavia to Clarke then back to Octavia. “O, what are you doing?”

Octavia looked at him innocently and said “Just impersonating Clarke. I’m feeling a bit ripped off because she certainly sounds like her dreams are more fun than mine. Honestly Clarke, if you continue having these dreams, I am going to need ear plugs”. She then burst out laughing again.

Clarke’s mouth dropped open in horror. She muttered an excuse and practically ran from the tent, doing her best to avoid looking at any part of Bellamy. She moved across the camp to grab some nuts and berries for breakfast and then sat by the fire to eat them. She was soon joined by Miller, Monty and Jasper who were busily discussing plans for a camp party to celebrate having tents.

After eating quickly, Clarke made her way into the dropship to check on Wells. On her way she walked past a group of three girls complaining about Finn. She gathered they had all been quickly ditched by him once Raven had arrived. They weren’t happy about the fact that he had a girlfriend but had neglected to tell any of them. What a creep!

She found Wells was awake, lying on the table in the dropship and talking to Raven who was sitting at the radio.

“How are you feeling this morning, Wells?” Clarke asked

“Better than last night that’s for sure”, he replied. “Thank you Clarke. You saved my life, literally”

“It’s fine. Just don’t make a habit of getting stabbed because I don’t think I could take it. You do realise I had to speak to Abby to help you. You owe me big time, Mister” she said with a laugh, relieved to see him doing so well. After checking his temperature and pain levels, she was confident the wound was free from infection. “You’ll have to stay here for at least another day or so... sorry”.

“That’s okay. I’m just grateful to still be here. I guess I’ll just have to convince people to talk to me to keep me entertained.”

Clarke was about to respond when Bellamy walked in and said “I’m sure Clarke would be happy to tell you about her dreams. Apparently they are VERY interesting.” He looked at Clarke with a smirk and winked at her.

Clarke’s mouth dropped open as she struggled for a response, her blush returning while Wells watched on with interest.

“Hmm true. She could start by telling me who gave her that hickey and why she is refusing to talk to either me or Miller about it. I thought we were your closest friends, Clarke?” said Wells.

Clarke looked from Wells to Bellamy who were both watching her. Hell, even Raven was paying attention now.

“Umm… I have things I need to do… I’ll come back to change your bandages at lunchtime, Wells”, she finally said. 

Not wanting to appear intimidated, she finally raised her eyes to Bellamy. She was sure Octavia wouldn’t have actually told him anything specific but he could probably guess what she was dreaming about just from Octavia’s teasing. As she met his eyes, she froze. He was looking at her intently, golden speckles reflecting in his brown eyes where the sun streamed in to the dropship. His hair was a complete mess of unruly curls by now, running wild across his face. 

He really was very handsome and it just wasn’t fair. The warm weather had meant he had left his jacket in his tent, giving her a much better view of his broad shoulders. His t-shirt was stretched tight over his muscular arms and chest, making her feel hot all over. Images from her dream came flooding back to her and she subconsciously licked her lips. She heard him groan under his breath and her eyes flew to his. He was staring at her lips as he took a step towards her.

Suddenly Miller walked in and said “How are you feeling, Wells?” effectively breaking the spell between Clarke and Bellamy. Clarke quickly left the dropship, hearing Raven say “Wow, you two.That was so hot, it was making me horny too!”

Run, Clarke. Run. So she did.


	22. Murphy

Clarke POV

After having spent an hour cautiously exploring the nearby forest and getting her thoughts in order, Clarke decided to return to camp. She could see someone leaning against a tree just outside the camp boundary wall. It looked like they were asleep. Approaching them carefully, she realised it was Finn. Maybe he was out here looking for some peace and quiet away from the disgruntled girls she had heard earlier.

“Finn?” she said. When he didn’t reply, she stepped closer assuming he was asleep. “Finn!” she said more urgently but no response. She moved in to touch him to wake him up but he fell over as she did so.

What the hell? Clarke then did something she thought she would never do. She screamed. Almost immediately Bellamy, Miller and Octavia ran towards her.

“Clarke! Are you okay?” shouted Bellamy. He grabbed her arms and asked “Are you hurt?” Clarke could only shake her heard and point at Finn who was now lying on the ground behind Bellamy. 

“He’s dead…” whispered Clarke.

Octavia and Miller looked on, frozen in shock, as Bellamy and Clarke leaned in to examine Finn.

“He’s been stabbed” said Bellamy.

Clarke looked at the wound in Finn’s stomach and said “He would’ve bled out quite quickly from this. I suppose we should be thankful of that at least… but who do you think did it? Grounders?”

“What’s this?” said Miller, bending down to pick something up from the grass next to Finn. It was a knife made from the dropship metal and it was covered in blood.

“That’s one of our knives” said Octavia. “Does that mean he was killed by one of us?” 

“Oh my god… Raven!” said Clarke before grabbing Octavia and hurrying her back to camp to find Raven. “We have to talk to her, Tavia, before she hears it from someone gossiping.”

Clarke and Octavia walked into the dropship to find Raven still working on improvements to the radio. Octavia moved forward and put her arms around Raven.

“What the hell, Octavia?” exclaimed Raven.

Clarke said “Raven, we have something to tell you and it isn’t good news.”

Raven looked worried now, “What is it?”

Clarke had always hated telling people bad news. She knew it was part of her job as a doctor to do this but it always made her feel guilty, like the bad news was her fault. But she needed to be strong for Raven now.

“Raven. It’s Finn. He’s been stabbed… I’m sorry, Raven but he’s dead.”

Raven screamed then grabbed Octavia, sobbing into her arms. Clarke moved in and added her arms to the hug saying “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry” over and over again.

\--0—

It had taken about half an hour for Raven to calm down enough and feel up to saying goodbye to Finn. By this time, Miller and Bellamy had dug a grave for him and had moved his body. Clarke and Octavia walked Raven out to the spot and they all stood back while she kissed him goodbye and sobbed over his body. When Raven was ready, Bellamy and Miller moved Finn’s body into the grave and Miller covered him with dirt. Once they had finished, Miller receited the burial rite:

“In peace, may you leave this shore. In love, may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels, until our final journey to the ground. May we meet again.”

“May we meet again” repeated Raven, Octavia, Bellamy and Clarke. Octavia and Miller then helped Raven back to camp, leaving Bellamy and Clarke alone.

“What are we going to do, Bellamy?” asked Clarke, “We can’t let this go unpunished but how do we find out who did it?”

“I recognise the knife… It belongs to Murphy” he replied somewhat reluctantly.

“Then we confront him with it!” said Clarke, her voice suddenly full of anger. She turned to hurry back to camp to find Murphy.

“Clarke… wait….” Bellamy called after her.

“What wait and let him get away with it because he is one of your cronies?” she spat at him.

“No… no, definitely not… but we need to be sure it is him”

She snorted disdainfully and stalked back to camp, not stopping as she heard Bellamy calling her name.

\--0—

Clarke soon found Murphy sitting by the fire with two other boys.

“Murphy!” she yelled, “what the hell do you think you are playing at?”

“Oh look, it’s the Alpha Princess come to order us around again” he replied standing up and moving towards her threateningly. Clarke didn’t back away from him. She wasn’t scared of him and she knew she could take him and his two friends in a fight. 

“Why’d you do it, Murphy? What had Finn done to you?” she demanded

“What on earth are you talking about, Princess” he spat back at her, “Why would I waste my time with Spacewalker?”

“He’s dead, Murphy. And your knife was used to kill him so how about you explain that to me?” By now a crowd had gathered and Clarke was aware that Bellamy had moved to stand behind her. 

Murphy looked shocked by the revelation. “I didn’t have anything to do with it!” he shouted. Unfortunately the crowd of delinquents now forming around him were largely made up from those he had bullied and they weren’t ready to believe him. “Kill him” came the cry from the crowd. Suddenly they were all chanting “Kill him. Kill him”.

“No” shouted Clarke but her voice was drowned out as the crowd moved in to grab Murphy and drag him to a nearby tree. A group of boys were wrapping one of the dropship seatbelts around the tree to form a noose.

“No!” she screamed again. Bellamy surged forward to her and yelled angrily “This is on you, Princess! I told you to wait and now look what you’ve done!” He rushed over to try to quell the crowd but things had got out of hand. Just as they were forcing Murphy into the noose, a small girl of about 12 stepped forward and said “It wasn’t him. It was me”. Everyone turned to look at her in shock.

“What do you mean, Charlotte?” asked Bellamy.

“It was me. I killed Finn. His father raped my mother and she died from her injuries. My Dad attacked him and my Dad was floated but Finn’s father walked free. When I heard some girls talking about Finn this morning, I thought he was just like his Dad. They said he had taken advantage of them and conned them in to sleeping him with him. I thought if I killed Finn, it would avenge my parents and stop my nightmares”. She burst into tears. “I’m so sorry.”

Bellamy and Dax moved to help Murphy down as the crowd began to argue amongst themselves, with some turning on Charlotte. Clarke moved in quickly grabbing Charlotte’s hand and forcing her to run away. She ran past Miller who had been standing behind her, watching the scene unfold. He picked up Charlotte and ran out into the forest, with Clarke following.

After they had got away from camp, they stopped running to catch their breath. “Where are we going to go, Miller?” asked Clarke

“No idea, Grif”

“Hang on, there is a shelter nearby. We could hide there while we think” said Clarke. She quickly led Miller and Charlotte to the shelter she had been in a few days before. Once they were inside, Charlotte settled down on the sofa and cried herself to sleep. 

Miller and Clarke sat on the other sofa debating what to do about the situation. They must’ve drifted off to sleep eventually because they woke sometime later to see Charlotte had gone. Climbing out of the shelter quickly, they heard a scream.

“That sounds like Charlotte” said Miller, as they ran in the direction of the sound. They found Charlotte and Bellamy standing on the edge of a cliff, facing Murphy and three other boys. Bellamy was trying to put himself between Charlotte and Murphy but Charlotte was trying to give herself up.

Clarke quickly ran to stand in front of Murphy. “What are you doing, Murphy? She’s a child.”

Murphy took Clarke by surprise grabbing her and forcing a knife to her neck. “Hand Charlotte over Bellamy or I’ll slit your Princess’ throat”

“Murphy, don’t be stupid” said Bellamy, his eyes darting quickly from Clarke to Charlotte.

“Don’t do it, Bellamy” said Clarke. Her eyes meet his. He looked fearful and worried and Clarke wanted to do anything to take that pain away from him.

“It’s okay”, said Charlotte, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me… because of what I’ve done… I’m sorry…”

Murphy’s eyes were focused on Charlotte so Clarke used the distraction to bring the heel of her foot down hard on his instep as hard as she could. He yelped in pain and the knife bit into her throat as she elbowed him in the stomach. His hands immediately went to grab his side so Clarke used her advantage to get away from him to safety.

Just as she got away, she heard a scream of “No” from Miller and Bellamy, and turned to see Charlotte disappearing over the cliff to her death. Clarke ran forward, falling to her nears sobbing “No, Charlotte…” She felt rather than saw Bellamy beside her. But his sorrow quickly turned to anger and soon he was up and attacking Murphy. Despite his height, Murphy’s slight frame was no match for Bellamy’s strength. Bellamy was now sitting on Murphy beating him to a pulp.

“No, Bellamy… stop” said Clarke. She got up and ran to Bellamy touching his shoulder, ignoring the arc of electricity between them as she did. “Please stop. You’re killing him”

Bellamy stopped and slowly got up. He stood face to face with Clarke and yelled “Charlotte just killed herself because of him. She was a child! He deserves to die!”

“No”, Clarke shouted back, “We don’t decide who lives or dies. Not down here.”

“So help me God, if you say the people have a right to decide, I’ll…” he said, moving towards her angrily.

“No, I was wrong before. You were right. Sometimes it is dangerous to rush in and tell people everything. But if we are going to survive down here, we can’t just live by ‘whatever the hell we want’. We need rules”

“And who makes those rules, huh? You? Princess”

“No, we make the rules together. You and me.”

“And we just take Murphy back to camp and pretend this never happened?” By now, he had moved so they were standing nose to nose. She could feel his breath across her face and smell his earthy scent. Her body felt like it was on fire.

Focus, Griffin.

“No. There has to be consequences” said Clarke, looking over at Murphy then back to Bellamy before saying quietly “We banish him...”

Bellamy stared at Clarke for a few moments before grabbing Murphy and hauling him to his feet. “Did you hear that, Murphy? You're banished from camp and if I ever find you back anywhere near our camp, I’ll finish what I started tonight.” 

Bellamy turned to the boys who had been supporting Murphy, “You have the choice: either come back to camp and follow me and Clarke or be banished with Murphy. What’s it going to be?”

The boys quickly turned and moved back to camp, closely followed by Bellamy. Miller walked up to Murphy and threw him a knife. “You’ll need this” he said before taking Clarke’s hand and leading her through the forest.

Clarke couldn’t think straight as they followed Bellamy back to camp. Her eyes kept moving to his back and the way he stalked confidently through the trees. She wished she could move so gracefully. She’d been so angry with him but also very turned on, especially when he moved really close to her. Everything in her screamed for her to follow him to his tent and throw herself on his mercy. She really was starting to worry about her state of mind. How could she be furious with him while simultaneously lusting after him? It wasn’t normal.

“Wow Griff, you’re pretty tense”, said Miller as they approached the camp gate where Bellamy was waiting for them, “Maybe you need to find the guy who gave you that hickey and work off some of your stress!” 

Clarke looked up into Bellamy’s eyes and was surprised to see the heat and desire in them. Of course, he had heard what Miller had said. Maybe she wasn’t the only one suffering from this confusing affliction.


	23. The First Rule of Fight Club...

Clarke POV

Clarke tried to ignore the heat from Bellamy’s gaze as she moved past Miller and into the camp. Her first stop was to check on Wells. She could feel Bellamy’s scrutiny as she walked to the dropship and pushed the curtain aside to enter it. Wells was awake and chatting to Octavia, while Raven continued to work on the radio.

“I need to check your bandage, Wells” said Clarke

“Can you show me how to do it?” asked Octavia. “I was thinking it would be helpful for me to know how to treat basic injuries so you don’t have to carry it by yourself, Clarke.”

“Of course. Thank you. You’re a great friend, you know that?” said Clarke

Octavia moved to hug her and whispered “Sorry about what happened with Bell this morning. I didn’t realise he was there until it was too late… I didn’t tell him anything we talked about.”

“Thanks Octavia. I knew you wouldn’t… Now let me show you how to check the wound and change the bandage.”

Clarke moved to Wells and lifted his shirt, gently pulling the bandage back. As she did so she explained to Octavia what she was look for in terms of signs of inflamation or infection. “This is healing nicely, Wells. How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”

“It’s more uncomfortable than outright pain. Unless I move that is” he said sheepishly.

“You’ll need to rest for at least another day, I think.” Leaning closer to him, she whispered in his ear, “I’m worried about Raven. Can you keep an eye on her?”

He nodded, just as Raven burst out into a string of expletives.

“You okay, Raven?” asked Octavia, moving over to put her hand on her shoulder.

“No. I’m not. I’ve lost the only boy I’ve ever loved. And then found out that he apparently didn’t love me after all” she said bitterly, “Did you know he had been cheating on me with other girls since he got down here? He didn’t even wait a full day to do it...”

She stood up, her hands shaking in anger. “He’s lucky he’s dead because I’d kill him myself if he wasn’t… I need some air”, she added as she walked out of the dropship.

Clarke sighed. She was hoping Raven would never discover Finn’s duplicity but knew it was a faint hope at best, as the whole camp knew. Turning to Octavia, she asked “You still up for learning some self defence?”

“Hell, yeah” came the reply.

“Let’s have some lunch first then get to it then” said Clarke. She needed to do something useful and maybe some physical exercise practising her moves would help rid her body of the aching need for Bellamy she had felt since waking this morning.

\--0—

After lunch, Clarke and Octavia walked out into the forest to the clearing just outside camp. Clarke began by showing Octavia how to take a defensive stance and hold her hands ready to fight. She got Octavia to practice this moving slowly around the clearing. Once Octavia had the stance perfected, Clarke then showed her some basic moves.

“The important thing is to always try to keep your weight balanced and over your toes so you can move quickly in any direction” she said.

“Let’s do this” said Octavia, “Come at me then”

The girls began to spar. Clarke was impressed with how quickly Octavia was picking up the techniques. Each time they broke apart, Clarke would give Octavia options for how she could have handled the attack and then they would repeat it until Octavia had mastered them. After 30 minutes, the pair had removed their jackets and pushed up their shirt sleeves in the heat. Both were sweating and breathing heavily. “Let’s take five” said Clarke.

“What the hell are you two doing?” came an angry voice from nearby. Bellamy. How long had he been standing there watching them?

“Clarke is teaching me to defend myself” replied Octavia angrily, “I thought you would be happy I don’t have to rely on you to save me”

“I don’t want you getting hurt, O. And you two are not pulling any punches.“ He stalked up to Clarke and stood nose to nose. “You need to take more care and not hit my sister. She’s going to have bruises from this already.”

“Back off! Of course, she’s going to have bruises. So am I. She’s hitting just as hard as I am… How do you expect her to learn if she doesn’t give it everything”, she spat back.

“She’s my little sister. She doesn’t need you to interfere. I take care of her”

“She’s not little anymore, in case you haven't noticed. She’s becoming a woman, Bellamy. How can you not see that? And maybe she doesn’t want or need you to take care of her anymore!”

Bellamy grabbed Clarke’s arm as she tried to walk away. Without a second thought, she turned and used her body to flip him over onto his back. She glared at him for a few minutes before turning back to Octavia, “You ready to continue, Tavia?”

“Absolutely” came the reply. They resumed their training, ignoring Bellamy who eventually moved to sit against a nearby tree and watch them. As their training continued, Raven walked up from the forest and stopped to watch them. She soon discarded her jacket and walked towards them asking “Can I join in this lesson too?”

“Of course” said Clarke, “Tavia, why don’t you show Raven the defensive stance and some basic moves. I can see how much you’ve learnt.” Octavia proceeded to demonstrate to Raven and soon they were sparring with each other. Clarke watching on and giving advice.

“You’re both small, like me”, she said. “We don’t have the physical strength of others, particularly guys" she added, glancing back at Bellamy, "But we can move a lot quicker than they can. Use that speed to your advantage. Far better to avoid being hit in the first place, if you can dodge it…”

The girls practiced moving quickly to avoid the hit. “Great”, continued Clarke, “Now if you notice when you avoid the hit, your opponent is left off balance for a split second due to their momentum. This is when you strike.” Clarke got Raven to try to hit her and then demonstrated how to strike taking the opportunity when the opponent was moving forward to strike.

Clarke watched as the girls practiced this. She was aware of Bellamy’s eyes on her the whole time. He might not approve of her teaching Octavia but at least he was keeping his thoughts to himself now. She just wished he would leave because the feel of his gaze was distracting her. She could feel his eyes as if he was physcially touching her. Eventually she moved back and joined in sparring with both Raven and Octavia. “You need to be able to defend yourself from multiple people at the same time so let’s do it.”

An hour later, all three were covered in sweat and gasping for air. Octavia passed around the water she had brought earlier. Once they had got their breath back, Octavia said “So you gonna show us how to throw knives as well, Clarke?” 

Clarke looked at Bellamy and blushed, remembering the last time she had thrown a knife was to pin him to the tree. Clearing her throat, she replied “s-s-sure”.

Clarke moved back into the clearing and took a knife from her boot. She quickly explained the correct technique for throwing it, again explaining the need to have your body balanced and exhale at the right time. She demonstrated how to aim and throw several times without actually releasing the knife. She moved to a tree and scratched a large X on it to aim at. 

Moving back near Octavia and Raven, she took a deep breath and focused on the target. She lined up the throw, exhaling quickly as she threw the knife. It hit the target perfectly.

“Wow”, said Raven, “that’s awesome. How long did it take you to get that good?”

“I’ve been practicing since I was 5 years old” replied Clarke, “Now your turn. Tavia, do you want to go first?”

Octavia moved forward and pulled a knife from her pocket. Clarke showed her how to hold the knife and stood behind her, helping her get the correct body position and grip on the knife. 

“Now breath in, focus on the target and exhale as you release the knife” said Clarke. She could feel Bellamy getting ansty again nearby. Why was she so in tune with his emotions? She seemed to constantly be aware of where he was and how he was feeling. It was too distracting.

Octavia took a deep breath, then threw the knife. It hit the tree and bounced off.

“Good. That’s a very good start, Tavia… It took me weeks to even hit the target. Now do it again”

Octavia began to practice as Clarke moved to Raven who was rehearsing the stance and how to hold the knife to throw it correctly. Soon Raven moved forward and took over from Octavia. She had less success at first but eventually they took turns and both girls were consistently hitting the tree, if not always the actual target.

Octavia walked over to Clarke and hugged her. “Thank you” she said quietly. “You might have been my first ever friend but you are also my best friend”.

Raven moved to join them. “Eww sweaty hug! I think we could all do with a bath now!” she laughed.

“Sounds heavenly” said Clarke, trying not to think how many days it had been since she truly felt clean. It’s the simple things you miss the most, she thought.


	24. Take Me to the River

Clarke POV

“Let’s head down to the river and get clean” said Raven. 

“I’ll come to keep watch for you” said Bellamy quickly. Great. That was the last thing Clarke needed. They walked the short distance to the river. Bellamy sat on the river bank close, but not so close as to make the girls uncomfortable. Octavia and Raven quickly stripped down to their underwear and entered the water.

Clarke was frozen to the spot. The last thing she wanted to do was have Bellamy see her in her underwear. The other girls were not as curvy and their breasts were smaller so there was nothing really on show. Clarke knew this wouldn’t be the case for her. Her Ark issued bra was not quite big enough for her and her breasts spilled over the top of it. The last thing she wanted to do was to give Bellamy a free show.

“Aren’t you going in, Princess?” he asked sarcastically, a smirk evident in his tone of voice. Clarke knew she would completely back out if she looked at him so she ignored him and took off her shoes, before removing her jeans. She stood for a minute in her shirt and underwear. The water looked so enticing. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the bottom of her long sleeve t-shirt and lifted it quickly over her head.

Clarke heard Bellamy gasp, followed by a deep growl under his breath. Without thinking, she turned to look at him before realising with a yelp that she was now standing in front of him with her body on full display. His eyes raked down her entire body before coming back up slowly and returning to her face. She felt a blush come over her whole body, her face burning red so she turned and quickly ran into the river hoping the water would cover her.

Octavia moved over to her laughing quietly, “Well if you didn’t have his attention before, you certainly do now!” 

Clarke felt a blush. “I’m too flabby. You and Raven are so lucky to be slim. I’ve always had too many curves and too much that wobbles when I walk”.

“Humpf…” said Octavia, “I would kill for your body, Clarke. You’re hot. And you only to have to look at my brother right now, to know he agrees”.

Clarke found herself raising her eyes to look at Bellamy, involuntarily. He was watching her with hooded eyes. The intensity of his gaze took her breath away.

“Told you” said Octavia before pushing Clarke over into the water and laughing. Raven joined in and the three girls battled until all three were completely wet. After enjoying the water for a short time, the girls moved out of the river and began to dress. Clarke deliberately turned her back to Bellamy. Her wet bra had become almost transparent, her nipples taut from the cold water were clearly on display. She could feel his eyes on her and was desperate to cover herself as quickly as possible.

“I’d kill for a comb or brush, right now” said Octavia as she ran her fingers through her hair to try to get rid of the knots and tangles.

“God, yeah” agreed Raven. Clarke nodded too as she tried to put her hair back into a braid. At least that way, it would be out of her eyes and a little bit neater. Her fingers kept getting caught in the tangles, causing her to groan in frustration. 

She felt rather than heard Bellamy walk up and stand behind her. “Need some help there, Princess?” before gently running his fingers through her hair to remove the knots. “Don’t panic. I know what I’m doing. Little sister, remember?”

Clarke tried to relax as Bellamy worked the tangles from her hair and began to braid it for her. “How on earth do you know how to do a braid?” she asked.

“Who do you think did O’s hair?” he replied. His mouth just near her left ear. She could feel his breathe on her cheek and closed her eyes to try to stay calm. It didn’t work. Having Bellamy’s hands on her hair was incredibly sensual and intimate. She took a deep breath and let out an unsteady sigh. Bellamy chuckled, and whispered seductively “O’s right, Princess. You’re hot and those other girls have nothing on you. The bits that wobble are the most sexy.”

That wasn’t helping. Her mind filled with images from her dream causing her body to flood with heat. How was he able to have this effect on her? Her eyes drifted shut again as she tried to relax and enjoy this brief moment together. She knew it would be only minutes before he was back irritating her or shouting at her. He might be attracted to her body but she was sure he didn’t actually like her. She was Alpha, after all.

It came to an end all too suddenly as he quickly said “All done” and stepped away from her warily. She opened her eyes to see Raven and Octavia watching them, smiling knowingly. Bellamy had moved some metres away from her and was standing quite rigid, with his hands clenched by his sides. He looked like he wanted to get as far away from her as possible. Had she done something wrong?

Octavia came over and put her arm through Clarke’s, “Come on, babe. Let’s go back to camp.” Raven moved to join them laughing and the three girls took off, with Bellamy walking a short distance behind them.

Clarke tried to resist looking back at him but it was useless. Each time she did, he was watching her cautiously. What was he thinking?

\--0--

Bellamy POV

He knew it had been a mistake to allow himself to touch the Princess and help her with her hair but he hadn’t been able to resist. He’d been dying to feel her golden locks since he met her and wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity. Now though, he was battling a raging hard on and the overwhelming desire to throw her over his shoulder and carry her off to his tent. 

It had been difficult enough watching her teaching Octavia and Raven how to fight. He’d been annoyed at first, not because he didn’t want O to be able to defend herself but more from the fact that he hadn’t even been aware of their agreement. O was building a life for herself, making friends and making decisions without any thought of him and it hurt to realise it. 

Clarke was right though. O was becoming a woman and she needed to establish her independence. Once he’d realised this, he had relaxed and watched them spar. The Princess certainly knew what she was doing and she was proving to be a good teacher – both O and Raven had picked up the basic skills quickly. 

He’d tried not to think about what he’d learned this morning. It had unbalanced him to know that his Princess had been dreaming about them being together. He hadn’t know how to respond so had defaulted to his arsehole persona and teased her about it. She’d looked embarrassed but hadn’t denied that she had dreamed about him. Then again, he’d been dreaming about her too but he wasn’t about to admit it. 

Looking at her know, sweaty and panting as she fought, it brought back feelings from his dream and he felt his body going rigid with desire. He shifted uncomfortably trying to get his thoughts back under control. Thankfully the sparring ended and they began to practice throwing knives. It made him think about their kiss and what had developed so quickly between them. Once they'd finished with the knives, he heard them discussing having a bath in the river to cool down. He found himself offering to come to keep an eye on them before he realised what he was saying.

As they got to the river, Bellamy found a spot to sit with a good line of sight. He heard a splash and realised Octavia and Raven had already got into the water. He could see Clarke standing looking at the water as if she was in two minds as to what to do.

“Aren’t you going in, Princess?” he asked. Trying to goad her into stripping in front of him. Without turning to look at him, she’d quickly taken her shoes and pants off before ripping her t-shirt over her head. He gasped involuntarily, letting out a low growl as his eyes racked over her body. She was perfection. Her pale, beautiful skin gleaming in the sunlight and her blonde hair like a halo around her head.

She turned to look at him and he felt his heart stop. She’d obviously outgrown her bra. The soft mounds of her breasts threatening to overflow over the top of it. He could see her hardened nipples protruding through the thin, worn fabric. His eyes swept down her taking in the curve of her hips and luscious smooth skin of her thighs. Oh, he was lost now. He wanted to look away but couldn’t. His body was responding to the sight of her as he watched a deep blush seep through her face and chest. Thankfully she broke their eye contact and dived into the river.

Bellamy took a few deep breaths to try to get himself back under control. He felt like he was on fire and the only thing that could help douse the flames was Clarke. He could hear Octavia talking to her and was shocked to hear her talking about herself in such derogatory terms. Didn't she know how gorgeous she was? He was glad when O contradicted her, telling her she was hot. She’d used his obvious reaction to Clarke's body as an example. He wasn’t sure he was comfortable with being this transparent but if it made the Princess feel better about herself he could live with it.

Eventually the girls got back out of the water and Bellamy did his best to not notice the way Clarke’s wet bra clung revealingly to her breasts. No, he definitely didn’t notice that! They’d then been laughing about how difficult it was to keep their hair under control without a brush or comb. And that’s how he now find himself, with his hands running through Clarke’s hair, while trying to get his body and wandering mind under control. In the end, he’d finished her braid and stepped quickly away from her. Hoping she would not see the evidence of his so obvious arrousal.

As he followed the girls back through the woods to camp, his mind and eyes kept wandering back to the Princess. What was he going to do? He'd tried to fight this attraction but it was proving difficult, especially as they were now co-leading the camp and her developing friendship with Octavia meant they were spending a lot of time together. But he couldn’t give in to it, she was a fucking Alpha and he was a janitor from Factory station. He would do well to remember it. However much fun they might potentially have together, it would only ever be temporary as she would always be looking elsewhere for someone more deserving of her.


	25. Fireside

Octavia POV

Octavia looked around at her friends gathered around the fire and thought that maybe for the first time in her life, she was happy. She was settled on a log with Clarke on one side, Raven and Jasper on the other. Monty and Miller had their heads together in deep conversation as usual to her right and across the fire was her brother. 

Octavia laughed to herself as she noticed the girls sitting on either side of Bell. They were doing their best to flirt and get his attention but he wasn’t even aware of them being there. His attention was solely focused on Clarke. His eyes hadn’t left her for more than a few seconds the whole evening. She could feel Clarke shifting uncomfortably under his gaze but neither had said anything or made direct eye contact. Watching their awkward, tense interactions with each other had become one of Octavia’s favourite pastimes. She just hoped that the two people closest to her would work out whatever was between them soon, because she wanted them to be happy too.

She’d worried about Bell at first when they’d landed. It seemed the year on his own after their mother’s death had hardened him and made him into someone she didn’t recognise. Sitting opposite him now as he watched Clarke, she understood that was a facade he'd adopted to protect himself in the most awful of circumstances. She knew he blamed himself for her being discovered and incarcerated and for their mum being floated but it wasn’t his fault. Their mother had made the decision to have a second child and they had both paid a heavy price for it. Maybe for the first time, Bell could be happy here too.

The moonshine was flowing tonight. The second batch by Monty and Jasper was a significant improvement on the first. It had been Jasper’s idea to have a party to celebrate being alive, after their recent losses. Raven had reluctantly agreed but was now well on her way to being drunk with her third cup of moonshine. Hopefully the evening would help Raven realise she had friends here and could be part of the group, even without Finn. 

Octavia leaned into Raven and said “You doing okay?”

“Yeah… thanks Tavia…” replied Raven, “I thought I’d feel like an outsider without him but you guys have been so great.”

“You’re family” said Clarke suddenly, “We all are now”

“Damn right” agreed Octavia. “If you need somewhere to sleep tonight, you’d be welcome to share with Clarke and I. There’s plenty of room”. Clarke nodded in agreement.

“Thanks. That would be great” said Raven.

\--0—

Clarke POV

“Who’s for some music?” said Miller suddenly, pulling an MP3 player from his pocket. “Monty’s rigged some of the dropship speakers up for us.” Soon music was pulsing loudly through the camp. Raven, Jasper and Octavia jumped up to dance almost immediately. 

Clarke stayed seated. She was still nursing her first cup of moonshine and nowhere near drunk enough yet. She laughed as Octavia whirled around the group of dancing delinquents, waving her arms in the air and shrieking with delight. She could hear Bellamy chuckling quietly from across the fire.

A familiar hand appeared in front of Clarke’s face. “Come on Grif” said Miller, “This is our song. Time to shake that hot booty of yours”. He grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the dance floor.

Clarke tried to resist but to no avail. Eventually she began to relax and move to the music. Soon she was in Miller’s arms, whirling around and laughing. It had been too long since she had allowed herself to have fun.

Miller laughed saying “Glad to see you haven’t lost any of your moves while being in solitary.” He then leaned in closer and added “You do know he hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night”

“Who?” she asked, trying to look innocent. The song ended and the music became much slower.

“Oh come on, Grif” he added, “Even you aren’t that blind. Let’s give him something to see, shall we?” He pulled Clarke close. Really close. Closer than he ever would normally and began to slow dance with her, brushing his lips against her ear.

“Miller, what the hell?” she said trying to pull back.

“Go with me on this. I’m hoping it will give Monty the shove he needs too”

She laughed and relented. She could feel Bellamy’s eyes boring into her back as she danced with Miller. She’d tried not to notice the girls surrounding him and flirting with him. When one of them ran her hand up his bare forearm, it was all Clarke could do to not scream. But two could play at that game, she thought as she let her hands slide over Miller’s back before giving his butt a gentle squeeze. She felt Miller laughing against her before he swung he back out into a twirl, “Now you’re getting the idea” he said.

The song ended and Clarke moved back from Miller and went back to sit by the fire. She felt rather than saw Bellamy come and sit alongside her.

“I thought Miller was gay” he asked

“Sorry?” she replied

“I thought Miller was gay but he certainly didn’t look like it when he was dancing with you.”

“Hmm, I think he is bi actually…” Clarke knew he wasn’t but for some reason she was mad and that made her want to be contrary. What business of it of his who she danced with.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the dancers. Miller was now dancing with Monty, much to Clarke’s relief. Jasper, Raven and Octavia were in a group together, looking well and truly drunk. Suddenly Clarke felt tired. Bone tired. She hadn’t been sleeping well and she felt like she’d been lurching from one crisis to another since they landed. Just as she was thinking about moving to go to bed, Bellamy spoke again.

“I suppose even if he is bi, he’s more your type anyway, being an Alpha and all.” He sounded angry now. As if he was accusing her of some unknown crime.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Bellamy?”

“You and Miller. I’m guessing he is more that type of guy your mom has in mind for you.”

Clarke had had enough. Turning to him, she shouted “Fuck off. As if I would choose a guy based on what Abby wanted. She been trying to force me to marry that arsehole Shumway for years!” The thought of having the sleezy Commander of the Guard as her husband was enough to make Clarke hurl.

“Shumway?? Fucksake! He’s about 20 years older than you. And he’s originally from Factory Station!” 

“What does his station have to do with anything? His position means he can shore up her power on the Council and that’s worth more to Abby than anything. Look Bellamy. I don’t know what your problem with me is but can we not try to work together? I hate the Ark class system as much as anyone. We are supposed to be co-leaders. I know you don’t like me. That’s fine. But can we at least try to be civil?”

Bellamy didn't reply, just shrugged his shoulders and looked at the fire.

“I’m going to check on Wells then going to bed” she said with resignation. As she got up to leave, Bellamy grabbed her wrist. Shoots of electricity ran up her arm from where his fingers grazed her skin.

“I’m glad you don’t have to marry Shumway, Princess” he said quietly.


	26. Day Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So we've finally got to the Bellamy and Clarke day trip. As with most other chapters its kinda non-canon but also a bit canon. If that makes sense?
> 
> It's a long chapter so I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> I don't own the 100.
> 
> Please don't be a silent reader.

Clarke POV

Clarke awoke early the next morning. She’d been having another sex dream about Bellamy and was now worried that both Raven and Octavia had heard her. Thankfully they both seemed to still be fast asleep. Dressing quickly, she left the tent in search of breakfast.

The camp was mostly deserted after the previous evening’s celebration. She crossed the camp just as Bellamy walked out of his tent. Was it wrong that Clarke was relieved to see he was alone? After all, he could sleep with whoever he wanted. Clarke nodded at him saying good morning and made her way to the tent they were using as a food store to get some nuts and berries for herself and Wells. She felt Bellamy’s eyes on her as she carried the food into the dropship.

Wells was already awake and on the radio, talking to his father. Urgh. Great, she thought. He turned to greet her with a smile, then said to his father “Clarke’s just come in now, Dad”

“Good morning Clarke” came the voice across the radio

“Good morning Chancellor” she replied.

“I wanted to thank you personally for saving Wells. I don’t know what I would’ve done if we’d lost him”

“Of course. You know I will always do whatever I can for him” she replied. Clarke wished she could just walk out again and not have this conversation. She knew wherever the Chancellor was, Abby wouldn’t be too far behind and the last thing she wanted was to talk to her again. She heard Bellamy come into the dropship behind her.

“Clarke” said another male voice, “This is Kane. We’ve found a depot from before the war which may have some supplies that can help you.”

“How do you know it will have survived the bombs?” she asked

“We don’t but it was built to resist a nuclear explosion so we can only hope it is still intact. It’s about an hour’s walk from your location”.

“It definitely worth checking out then. What’s the coordinates?” Clarke noticed Wells writing them down as Kane read them out. She turned to see Bellamy looking warily towards the radio.

Jaha came back on the radio “Clarke, I was just telling Wells that we are hoping to get the Exodus ships down to you in two weeks’ time. Your mum will be on the first one.”

“Well that’s something to look forward to,” she replied sarcastically.

“I know you are upset Clarke but it’s time to forgive and forget the past so we can all move forward together on earth.” Said Kane

Clarke snorted derisively. “The three of you killed my Dad then sent 100 kids down here to die. Of course, you hoped we’d live but that was for purely selfish reasons so you could survive too. But realistically we all know we are expendable to you. If we’d died, you would have moved on to find the next solution to keep yourselves alive.” Oh she was angry now. Her voice ice cold and hard. These idiots just thought they could do whatever they wanted and then expected her and the 100 to come running back. Pricks!

“I’m not sure what our position will be when you arrive", she added "I’ll need to talk to my co-leader of the camp for us to decide but I can assure you that the last thing any of us will be doing, is forgiving and forgetting.” 

She turned and said “you coming?” to Bellamy and walked out of the dropship. Walking quickly to her tent, she collected her backpack. Raven and Octavia were still asleep so she didn’t disturb them. She found Bellamy waiting for her with his backpack by the camp entrance.

“Let’s go” was all she said. She was too angry to speak right now and as much as he annoyed her, she didn’t want to take it out on Bellamy. They needed to be unified so they could decide what they were going to do now the arrival of those on the Ark was inevitable.

\--0—

Bellamy POV

Bellamy was in a quandary. If the Ark was coming down in two weeks’ time, he’d need to get himself sorted to take off. He couldn’t be here when they did. They would kill him for what he did to Jaha. He’d initially thought he’d take Octavia with him but she was making friends and a life for herself here in camp. He knew Clarke and the others would take care of her. He didn’t want to think about leaving O or Clarke, for that matter, but he would have to.

He shouldn’t have been surprised by the way Clarke had spoken to Jaha and Kane. He could tell she was truly angry with them. The Princess had been in full flight. Her eyes had gone a flinty blue and her voice had become hard and sarcastic. He couldn’t help the wave of pride that came over him as she’d told them that the 100 wouldn’t forgive them or run back to them for protection. He was sure the camp would be in safe hands under her care. He looked up as Clarke approached him as he waited by the gate. Hopefully there were some supplies in this depot that he could use to help him as he ran. 

“Let’s go” she said as she walked past him. He followed quietly. It was clear she was still furious with the Chancellor and Ark Council, including her mother. He recognised the stiffness in the way she held her shoulders and the determined way she was striding through the forest. Yes, she was livid.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke and Bellamy made their way through the forest in silence. She was grateful to be able to sort through her own thoughts. She was furious. Truly furious. After about 45 minutes, she said “We need to talk about what we are going to do when the Ark arrives?”

Bellamy had obviously been deep in thought too as he started at the sound of her voice. “What choice do we have, Princess? If we don’t go back voluntarily, they’ll make us with their stun guns and pistols”

“We need to talk to Jaha about what happens with you too, Bellamy? There is no way I am going to let them take you and put you in prison or worse!” she said vehemently.

“You can’t stop it, Princess. They’ll kill me. We both know that.” he sounded resigned.

“NO! You may have given up but I won’t… ever…” she said suddenly furious again and ready to fight the world. “We wouldn’t have survived down here without you. The Ark rules don’t apply down here. We have a choice…”

“Do you really think they would let us remain separate to them? With our own governance?”

“Why not?” she asked

“You’ve spent too long in that ivory tower of yours, Princess. Let’s just drop it.”

“We aren’t going to drop this, Bellamy. I won’t let you give up.”

“I think we are here” he said changing the subject suddenly, “the depot should be around here somewhere. Let’s look for some kind of metal door or hatch”. They split up to cover more ground.

“Bellamy… It’s over here…”

Bellamy made his way to Clarke and tried the metal door. It was stuck. Taking out the hatchet he’d made from the dropship, he bashed the edge of the door until it moved. Clarke moved in to add her strength to his as they pulled the hatch open. A rush of stale air came at them.

Clarke followed Bellamy through the hatch and down the ladder into the shelter. Bellamy turned on a torch he had salvaged from the dropship. Water was dripping from most of the roof and the shelter smelt of stale mould. It made Clarke want to gag. Moving down the corridor they came to a store room and quickly began searching the containers. 

“I’ve found some blankets” said Clarke, hopefully.

“What about something useful like a proper tent or a fricking med kit?” said Bellamy. He seemed angrier than the situation warranted and Clarke wondered for the millionth time today what was going on with him. He wasn’t himself. She had a sinking feeling that he was going to leave when the Ark came down. The thought made her feel physically ill.

He moved across the corridor and opened a barrel. It was filled with some kind of liquid. Swearing he kicked at the barrel knocking it over. The sound of crashing metal filled the shelter. Bellamy moved around in surprise to see what had fallen out of the barrel. When he raised his eyes to meet Clarke’s, he was grinning from ear to ear.

“What is it?” she asked

Bellamy held up a large semi-automatic weapon. “Guns… and lots of them…” he said. “Do you know what this means, Princess? We aren’t sitting ducks anymore. Not with the Grounders or the Ark. Maybe we can defend ourselves after all”

“I’m not going to fight you on bringing guns back to camp, Bellamy. I know we need them. Just don’t expect me to be happy about it though.”

Bellamy had moved onto another container and said suddenly, “how about swords then?” as he lifted something up. It was in a leather pouch made to be worn on the back. Clarke moved forward pushing him out of the way in her excitement and grabbing the sword. 

“It’s beautiful…” is all she said as she unsheathed it carefully. Stepping back, she took up position and began to rehearse the moves her father had taught her. She didn’t see Bellamy grinning at her.

“Looks like we are both happy with our weapons, Princess” he said laughing. 

She grinned back at him and said “Is there any more? I’d love to get one for Tavia. I promised her I’d teach her how to fight with a sword, if it was ever possible.” She could tell Bellamy wasn’t completely comfortable with the thought of his sister learning swordplay but he didn’t comment, simply saying “Yes, there is a second one here. But you both will also need to know how to shoot a gun, Princess. I can teach you now.” 

“Okay then” she said, putting the sword back in its case. Bellamy moved to set up a target and unpack two of the guns. He cleaned the oil off with a nearby rag and handed one to Clarke. She moved the gun to her left shoulder, unsure of how to hold it. She looked at Bellamy questioningly, “Am I doing it right?”

Bellamy placed one hand on her right shoulder, while placing his other on the gun, shifting it into position. Clarke suddenly realised she was now effectively standing in his embrace, the warmth from his hand penetrating her jacket and heating her skin. She took a deep breath to try to get herself under control but couldn’t resist the temptation to look up and into his eyes.

He was watching her, his gaze guarded. His face close enough for her to see the freckles spilling over his cheekbones in the low light. Clarke couldn’t look away. Heat was flooding through her at the unexpected intimacy between them. She suddenly realised they were alone and well away from everyone. No one would disturb them here. The thought panicked her a little as she wasn’t sure she wanted to resist him. All she could think about was moving closer to him and bringing their bodies into contact. 

Without realising it, her gaze dropped to his lips. She heard his sudden intake of breath and looked back to his eyes. He was looking at her mouth now and she couldn’t stop her tongue sneaking out to lick her lips in anticipation. She knew she was lost now.

“Bell-a-mee…” she sighed. 

He reached up to take the gun from her hands and place it carefully on the floor. He then wrapped his arms around her tightly, bringing her up against his hard chest. His lips descended onto hers and she felt herself sigh in pleasure. The kiss was warm and gentle, making her toes curl. A delicious heat was spreading through her. She sighed again, opening her mouth against him and slipping her arms around his neck. He didn’t hesitate to take up her invitation, his tongue now running along hers, making her shiver with desire. God he knew how to kiss!

Bellamy’s mouth left hers to trail a line of kisses across her jaw and down her neck. It was all Clarke could do to keep standing. Her hands wove into his dark curls, as he kissed and sucked at her neck. He was probably giving her another hickey but she was beyond caring. It felt too good. Clarke couldn’t help the moan that escaped her. Lord, help her.

Without warning, there was loud laugh from behind them, “Who knew it would be so easy” said the disembodied male voice. Clarke and Bellamy broke apart turning to see Dax pointing a gun at them. Bellamy moved to put himself between Clarke and Dax, shielding her with his body. 

“Sorry Clarke” said Dax, “I don’t want to kill you but Shumway said no witnesses”

“Fucking Shumway??? What does he have to do with anything?” she asked moving to try to get in front of Bellamy.

“Shumway is the one who set it up”, said Bellamy, shoving Clarke back behind him. “He wanted me to shoot Jaha and said he would get me a place on the dropship with Octavia, if I did it.” 

Clarke heard something clatter at her feet and realised the sword was still there. Dax couldn’t see her clearly due the low lighting and Bellamy, so she slowly leaned down and picked up the sword, silently unsheathing it. She knew she was only going to get one shot at this if both her and Bellamy were going to survive. Holding the sword in one hand behind her back, she peeped around Bellamy and said in her best Alpha Princess bored voice “You don’t have to kill me, Dax. I won’t say anything and frankly, I’d be glad to be rid of this idiot! He’s been following me around like a sick puppy for days. It’s all becoming so boring…”

She could see Dax was buying it. The only good thing about being Alpha was how much people underestimated you and believed you were truly superficial. It made her blood boil. She just hoped Bellamy realised what she was doing. 

Dax laughed and said “What will you do for me if I let you go then? I’ll expect some kind of reward. At least as good as the one he was just getting.”

Clarke tried hard to not vomit into her own mouth at the thought. Stalking slowly towards him, she fluttered her eyelids and smiled, doing her best impersonation of a vapid Alpha Princess. “Well sure, honey…” she drawled, “I’m sure we could have lots of fun together”

She could feel Bellamy tense behind her and knew he had seen the sword against her back and probably realised by now, what she was playing at. All she needed to do was distract Dax enough to knock the weapon out of his hands and give Bellamy enough time to pick up the one at his feet. She ran her free hand up Dax’s arm, making sure his eyes were now on her. Leaning in slowly as if to kiss him, she quickly struck. Headbutting him and bringing the sword to his throat. “Drop the gun, now!” she shouted.

Clarke heard Bellamy pick up the gun at his feet and shout “Drop it, Dax”. Dax looked at Bellamy and pulled the trigger. 

Thankfully the gun jammed – a product of being in oil for almost 100 years. Bellamy rushed forward pushing Clarke away from Dax and tackling him to the floor. The two boys fought until Dax hit Bellamy across the face with the butt of his rifle. Clarke ran forward shouting “Get off him” but Dax ignored her turning the gun to face Bellamy and pulling the trigger again. Thankfully it was still jammed and the unused cartridge fell to the floor next to Bellamy.

Clarke knew she would have to use the sword against Dax. She hadn’t wanted to hurt him but she had no choice. She couldn’t let him kill Bellamy. She put the sword to Dax’s throat again and said “Get off him or I’ll kill you”

Dax just laughed flinging his elbow back and connecting with Clarke’s abdomen. She cried out in pain, temporarily winded, but it gave Bellamy the distraction he needed to pick up the cartridge and thrust it into Dax’s neck. Blood poured out from the wound as Dax fell onto Clarke, spluttering as he died. Clarke pushed Dax’s body off her and crawled to where Bellamy was lying on the floor. His face was bloody and he was holding his stomach. He slowly sat up, leaning against a nearby wall.

“Are you alright?” she asked, her hands frantically checking his injuries.

“No. I’m not alright… I’m a monster… My mum… she raised me to be better, to be good... But all I do is hurt people... All I do is kill people... I really am a monster...” he said, tears streaming down his face.

Clarke got closer, moving to sit next to him against the wall, her hands framing his face. “You’re not a monster. Everything you have done, you have done to protect Octavia. Your mum would understand that.”

“If you’re looking forgiveness, I’ll give it to you. You’re forgiven, okay?” she continued. “I know you are worried about what will happen when the Ark arrives but Bellamy you can’t leave. You can’t run. We need you. The kids won’t survive without you…”

She was quiet for a few moments before looking up to meet his eyes and whispering “I need you… I can’t do this without you…” 

“I’m not sure I can face it” he said eventually

“You have to face it. It’s the only way through it. But you won’t be on your own. You’ll have Octavia, me, Miller, Monty… hell even Wells… Please Bellamy… Please don’t leave…”

“You want me to face it but you won’t face your mom”

“You’re right. I don’t want to face her but I know I will have to. Some days I can’t face any of it. All I think about is how we are going to survive. How we are going to keep the kids alive...” her voice trailed off as she tears flowed down her face.

“What about Jaha?” he asked

“We’ll figure something out. I know we can.” She said hoping she sounded more confident than she felt.

“Well, can we figure it out later?”

“Sure. Whenever you are ready”, she replied before leaning her head back to rest against the wall and closing her eyes.

Clarke didn’t want to think about what had happened here. First she had kissed Bellamy senseless. Again. Which was more than enough to deal with on its own. But then they had killed Dax. She felt sleep taking over her and her last thought was how comfortable her head was on Bellamy’s shoulder.


	27. The Bunker

Bellamy POV

Bellamy awoke with a stiff neck and a flood of heat from the warm body snuggled against his side. The Princess. He could hear her steady breathing in her sleep. How long had they slept? It was impossible to know from inside the dimly light bunker.

The events of the day came flooding back to him. First his panic at hearing Clarke talking to Jaha and Kane about the Ark coming down in two weeks. Then his joy at finding the weapons in the bunker. The heart stopping kiss with the Princess before Dax attacked them. A wave of guilt ran through him. He’d killed Dax. Someone he had considered a friend two days ago. 

Just as he began a spiral of guilt and self-loathing, he heard Clarke begin to wake up next to him. Her head was on his shoulder, her hair falling across his face and her hand against his chest. It felt nice. He looked down at her in the dark, thinking about their kiss. He’d been trying to ignore the attraction between them when he was showing her how to shoot. He’d managed it until she’d said his name in a breathy whisper. He wanted to hear her say his name that way again and again. His resistance had completely evaporated and he struggled to maintain some sense of mind to take the loaded gun from her hands first. He was sure it meant nothing to her. Although she was very mature for her age, he had to remember she was only 18 and no doubt enjoying exploring her sensuality. He wondered if she would mention it - half hoping she would and half hoping she wouldn't.

Somehow he’d allowed Clarke to talk him into staying. How she’d known he was planning to leave was beyond him. But she’d guessed correctly. He had no idea what she was planning to get Jaha to let him live but he would wait and see if it worked. He could always run if it didn’t.

\--0--

Clarke POV

Clarke slowly opened her eyes and struggled to remember where she was. And who was she cuddling. Then it all came flooding back to her. Bellamy. She lifted her head and turned to look at him. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the low lighting before she could make out his face. He was looking directly at her and she could feel the intensity of his gaze, even without being able see his eyes.

“How long have we been asleep?” she asked

“It’s impossible to tell in here, Princess, but I suspect no more than an hour or so.”

“We’d better be getting back then” she said, getting up and trying to move away. She almost tripped over something before realising it was Dax’s body.

“Oh god. We killed Dax!” she said

“I killed him. You didn’t”

“But I was going to. It was him or you and I wasn’t going to let it be you, Bellamy…” She stopped letting the sentence and all its implications hang in the air between them.

Bellamy got up and pulled out his torch. She tried to see his face in the torch light to gauge what he was thinking but it was impossible. Moving to pick up one of the guns, she asked “Can you show me how to shoot this again please?”

“It might not work until it is properly cleaned. That’s why Dax couldn’t shoot me”. As he was speaking Bellamy moved towards her and demonstrated how to hold the gun against the shoulder properly.

Clarke aimed at the makeshift target Bellamy had put up earlier and pulled the trigger. A loud, sharp crack echoed throughout the bunker. Clarke turned to Bellamy grinning. “THAT… WAS… AWESOME…Does it make me a bad person that I enjoyed that?”

He laughed in response and shook his head. “You need to improve your aim. It’s not bad but you’ll need to be better”

“I don’t want to waste any bullets… We need to talk about how we are going to keep the guns secure in camp. And who gets to use them”, she said.

“Hmm we could lock them on the top floor of the dropship?” 

She knew Bellamy would have already thought of this. “Good thought. And given you are the only one who had has proper training when you were in the guard, you’ll need to train everyone how to shoot.” 

“What are we going to do about Jaha?” Bellamy asked, reluctantly.

“I’ve already thought that through, Bellamy. We are going to bribe him. He’ll want to know who organised his assassination. We won’t tell him until AFTER he has pardoned you”

“Do you think that will work?” Clarke could tell Bellamy was trying not to sound too hopeful.

She walked up to him and put her hand on his arm. He looked down and their eyes met. “You just leave Jaha to me! I’ve not lived with Abby my whole life amd not learned a thing or two about manipulation. I’ve sat at the feet of the master or should that be mistress? I am an Alpha Princess, after all” She couldn’t help the sarcasm filling her voice and was rewarded when Bellamy chuckled and then smiled in response.

“Let’s pack up the blankets, guns, bullets and anything else you think would be useful and get going”, he said.

Clarke ran off to pack as many blankets as she could carry into the large bag they had brought. She picked up the sword and case. The leather sheath had straps to be worn over the shoulders so the sword was carried on your back, with the handle free and easy to access between the shoulder blades. She quickly put one on over her jacket. It felt comfortable. As if the weight of the sword was a natural part of her body. She found the second sword and holder and put that into the bag for Octavia. When she walked back to Bellamy, he took in the sword and raised an eyebrow. “You okay to carry some guns as well as the blankets? I can do the rest of the guns and ammo? I also found boxes of candles which I can carry too”

“Sure… we can always come back to see what else is here... I guess we'll need to come back to bury Dax too”. 

The trip back was uneventful. Neither spoke. Both apparently unwilling to address what had happened between them. Clarke sighed. It wasn’t in her nature to avoid talking about something that was bothering her. She usually went at problems head on but there was no way she was going to bring up the fact they had kissed. Again. She spent the walk back convincing herself it meant nothing to him. She just wished she could convince herself that it meant nothing to her.


	28. Step out of line and you'll have me to deal with!

Clarke POV

A lot had happened in the two weeks since Clarke’s trip to the Bunker with Bellamy. Both leaders had been so busy they had hardly seen each other. Bellamy had been working closely with Miller to train the delinquents in basic combat techniques, as well as shooting and gun maintenance. The camp now had a full complement of guards working on a rotations and a high wall had been finished and provided strong defences. Bellamy would also lead a hunting group each afternoon and the delinquents were fast learning the skills needed to source food and survive on the ground.

Raven had thrown herself into camp life, no doubt as a distraction from her heartbreak over Finn. She was currently building walkie-talkies from scrap radios salvaged from air raid shelters and nearby bunkers. Monty had been working closely with Clarke to identify any plants with healing properties and the ground floor of the dropship was now a dedicated med bay. The second floor had been set up with cots for those patients who needed to be isolated or close monitoring, while the top floor was used as the armoury because it could be locked securely.

Wells had put his engineering knowledge to good use and had designed a range of wooden buildings to include a smoke house and a meeting hall/dining hall. He had also discussed a design with Bellamy and Clarke for cabins that could sleep 4-5 people. There were plenty of wood supplies to hand so construction had already begun on the meeting hall, the smoke house and two cabins. With winter in 4 months’ time, they knew they would have to rush to get everyone’s cabin completed in time but until then everyone could sleep in the meeting hall to stay warm and dry. 

Clarke had been training every day with Raven and Octavia and their fighting skills were really coming on. The three girls would train each morning. Clarke had begun to show Octavia how to sword fight as well and she had taken to it like a duck to water. It was not unusual for the sound of clashing metal to be heard across camp as they sparred. Bellamy had tried to stop it at first, worrying that Octavia would be hurt but the two girls were careful enough to not injure each other but still improve their skills. 

Clarke was also training Monty and Octavia in basic first aid and how to treat the more common types of wounds the delinquents had. What Bellamy didn’t know is that Octavia would then usually slip away each afternoon to spend time with Lincoln, the Grounder. Clarke felt a little uneasy about this situation as she knew Bellamy wouldn’t approve and would be furious when he found out she knew and had done nothing to prevent it. 

Oh well, it is Octavia’s decision and Clarke had promised to support her. Surely her duty to her friend outweighed her duty to her co-leader?

Inevitably the relative peace ended one afternoon, Bellamy and Miller had led a small group on the daily hunt but Clarke and Monty had tagged along as they needed to forage for some medicinal plants. While the hunters were armed with rifles, Monty had a knife and Clarke a sword and two knives. The group had quickly come across a boar and killed it so two of group had left to carry the boar back to camp with only Bellamy and Miller staying behind to guard Monty and Clarke.

Unfortunately the medicinal plants were proving hard to find, so after half an hour it came as no surprise to Clarke to hear Bellamy saying “Come on, Princess. How much longer is this going to take?”

“We know it is in this area, Bellamy. We found it here a week ago. If we had an accurate map, it would make this a lot quicker so you’ll just have to be patient. If we can get seeds we can grow it back at camp so you won't have to do this again”, she huffed back feeling annoyed he was being so childish.

“Can you look faster? I have things to do back at camp tonight”, he asked.

“I’m not interested in facilitating your harem, Bellamy” came the snappish reply.

“My harem? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Oh come on. We’ve all seen the rotation of girls you have coming out of your tent each night.” Clarke had tried hard NOT to see them but it was impossible and it hurt. She hated that it hurt but it did and at least she was honest enough to admit it to herself.

“Are you accusing me of sleeping around? You shouldn’t jump to conclusions, Princess” he spat at her, the name now definitely an insult.

Clarke just looked at him and arched an eyebrow as he glared back. Stepping closer to him, she said “Oh please. Why else would they be in there? Do you think I am an idiot?”

“If you wanted to know, you should’ve asked me rather than assume so I’m not going to elaborate. It’s none of your business what I do in my tent at night!” 

Clarke could tell Bellamy was really angry now. He had taken two steps towards her as he spoke and they were now standing so close she could feel his breath on her face. Why did his proximity set her whole body on fire? The weeks in the sunshine had made his skin even more tanned and he now had a lot more freckles spilling across his nose and cheeks. Their eyes met and she felt herself drowning in his gentle, brown eyes. How could such a man have such gentle eyes? Clarke knew that if she didn’t break his gaze soon, she would not be able to stop herself stepping into his arms and kissing him. Honestly he was nothing short of infuriating!

“I really don’t care what you get up to so fuck off out of my face and let me find the plants I need”. Clarke turned and walked away fighting to get herself back under control. She was aware of Miller looking from her to Bellamy and back again with a knowing look on his face. It annoyed her even more.

“What the fuck are you looking at Miller?” she shouted.

“Wow chill out, Griff. Don’t kill the innocent bystander!”

With a huff she turned back to Monty and they resumed their search. It couldn’t have been more than one minute before they heard yelling and they were attacked by a group of seven Grounders. Bellamy immediately grabbed Clarke and shoved her against the nearest tree taking up a defensive position in front of her. She was struggling to get her sword out and move away from him but he kept pushing her back.

Three grounders attacked Miller and Monty, while Bellamy was trying to hold off the other four. 

“Damn you, Bellamy. Let me out” screamed Clarke. But Bellamy was too busy trying to fight off all the grounders at once. He managed to shoot one but the other three attacked him with their swords. Bellamy went down, blood flowing from wounds on his head and arms. As one of the grounders raised his sword to bring it down into his chest, Clarke rushed forward drawing her sword and meeting the blade, stopping its progress. The grounder looked up in surprise.

“You’re going to have to get through me first, if you want to kill him” she hissed. She leapt over Bellamy and took up a position between him and the three grounders, “Whose first then?” She heard Bellamy trying to speak. It sounded like "Please no, Clarke". Before she could think about it the three grounders attacked at the same time. 

This is what you’ve trained for all those years, Griffin!

Clarke engaged and began to hold off them off. She knew she wouldn’t be able to do it indefinitely but was hoping that either Miller or Monty would be able to help her soon. All she had to do was avoid being hit until that time and try to get a few blows in herself. One of the grounders lunged forward thrusting his sword at her head, she quickly jumped to the side and stuck her sword into his stomach watching his eyes bulge as he collapsed on the ground. 

One down. Two to go. 

Just as she had that thought, she heard a woman scream and realised it was Octavia charging towards her with her sword out. 

“I got you, Clarke” shouted Octavia as she joined Clarke in front of Bellamy and together they fought the two remaining grounders. There was the loud clash of sword on sword as the fight continued.

Behind her, Clarke realised that Bellamy was trying to get back on his feet to re-join the fight so she broke off to quickly shove him back down and yell “Stay there, Idiot!” before fending off another blow.

She heard Octavia yell in victory and saw the grounder go down. Spinning quickly, Clarke swept her legs under the grounder she was fighting with and stuck her sword into his chest as he fell. She saw Miller and Monty stumbling towards them.

Both girls came together to hug. “Tavia, are you alright?” said Clarke quickly checking her for wounds.

“I’m fine” she said in reply.

Clarke fell to her knees and began to catalogue Bellamy’s injuries. He had lost consciousness now and it worried her. There was a lot of blood and it was hard to tell just how severe his injuries were. She heard the others come up behind her and said “We need to get him back to camp quickly. He’s losing too much blood.” She used her knife to cut Bellamy’s shirt off him then divide it up into makeshift bandages to try to stop the bleeding as much as possible. 

A male voice she didn’t recognise said “I will build a stretcher so we can carry him”.

“Thank you, Lincoln”, said Octavia, “I’ll help you.”

Clarke turned to see a tall, muscular grounder with tattoos on his arms and his neck, peeking out from the collar of his shirt. So this was Lincoln. Despite his size and obvious physical prowess, there was a gentleness to him that surprised Clarke. She could see why Octavia was attracted to him.

Once they had Bellamy on the stretcher, Miller and Monty picked it up and they all began to walk back to camp.

“Lincoln, this is my dear friend Clarke. This is Miller and Monty. And this is my brother Bellamy. I had hoped to introduce you under better circumstances."

“Hello Lincoln” said Clarke stepping forward to offer her hand, “It’s nice to meet you” Lincoln looked at her offered hand with a perplexed look on his face before Octavia explained “Oh no Clarke, Grounders don’t shake hands. They hold elbows” and then demonstrated grabbing Clarke’s elbow with her hand.

“Oh sorry” said Clarke leaning forward to grab elbows with Lincoln. He smiled in return.

As the group hurried back to camp, Clarke found herself becoming increasingly anxious about Bellamy. His skin was pale and his breathing shallow. She’d swapped between wanting to kill him and wanting to kiss him all day. She just didn’t know where she stood with him. They had never spoken about the kiss in the bunker despite them both knowing what would have happened if Dax had not interrupted them. Clarke was big enough to admit to herself that she wanted him. Instead they had pretended there was nothing between them and avoided each other as they lead the camp together.

Did even like her? She knew he was attracted to her but just when she thought there might be more there, he would become aloof or angry. Now she thought about it though, she had been doing the exact same thing to him. Maybe he was unsure and confused by this thing between them too. He’d implied he hadn’t been sleeping around when they argued earlier and in truth all she had seen was a series of girls leaving his tent each evening. She had no evidence he had slept with them and now that she thought about it, surely they wouldn’t have left in the evening if they had? Wouldn’t they have stayed the night?

All of this seemed so insignificant now. She might lose him. What she did know was that if she did lose him tonight, she would never forgive herself for not telling him how she felt. Not taking the chance that they could have something wonderful together.

As the group hurried back to camp, Clarke could hear Octavia sobbing quietly behind her. She turned and wrapped her arms around her. “He’s going to be fine, Tavia. He’s as stubborn as a mule. There is no way he is going to die and give up the opportunity to yell at us both for fighting today”. Clarke wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

Octavia laughed in response and took a deep breath in. “Thanks, Clarke”. They walked the rest of the way back to camp holding hands – with only the white knuckled grip of both girls giving away their state of anxiety and fear.

Arriving in camp, Miller and Monty quickly took Bellamy to the dropship. The delinquents had gathered at the gate, their faces shocked and concerned when they saw one of their leaders injured. They quickly turned to anger when they noticed Lincoln. Clarke stepped forward and said “Stand down, everyone. This is Lincoln. He is Octavia’s friend and has saved our lives today by helping us fight off other grounders. He is welcome in this camp. Anyone steps out of line with him and you will have me to deal with! Now secure the camp.”

She marched into the dropship, closely followed by Lincoln and Octavia.


	29. Too many stitches and not enough kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So we finally get there... It's happening... It's happening... So enjoy
> 
> I don't own the 100.
> 
> Please don't be a silent reader.

Clarke POV

Clarke quickly began firing off orders to those around her.

“Miller go talk to Jasper, I’ll need moonshine and a lot of it. Tavia, can you get me a needle and as much of the wire thread as possible. Monty, I’m going to need both seaweed paste and seaweed tea but the paste is more urgent as he won’t be able to have the tea until he wakes up”. The group scattered and soon returned with all the necessary items.

“Everyone sterilise your hands with the moonshine please. Miller, Monty and Lincoln – I’m probably going to need all three of you to hold him down once I start stitching. He’ll be too strong for me and Tavia.”

“Tavia, can you start cleaning the wounds so I can see what we are dealing with please?”

As Octavia worked her way across Bellamy’s chest and face, Clarke felt his head to see if there were any wounds there. His dark curls were silky in her fingers and she had to resist the temptation to caress him. She found a lump and pointed it out to Octavia saying “We’re going to need this cleaned too”.

It took two hours for all of Bellamy’s wounds to be cleaned, sterilised and stitched back together. Clarke had lost count of how many stitches it was in total but it was too many. While most of the wounds were small, there were two particularly large ones – one on his right shoulder and the other across his stomach. Bellamy had come around for a short time, groaning during the procedure before quickly fallen unconscious again.

“Thanks for your help everyone. Why don’t you all go clean up and get some food. I’ll keep an eye on him.” Octavia grabbed Clarke’s hand and gave it a squeeze as she left with the others. “I’ll bring you some food back soon.”

“Thank you” replied Clarke, moving to wash the blood off her hands in the bucket she kept in the med bay. Her t-shirt was covered in Bellamy’s blood but she didn’t want to leave him to change it. She found a stool and sat next to the cot Bellamy was lying in, linking one hand in his on the bed and gently brushing her other hand across his face and hair.

Please live. Please live. Please live. Her only thought.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been before she became aware of Miller coming quietly back into the dropship. He stopped when he saw her and then pulled up a stool to sit next to her.

“You okay, Griff?”

“Not really” Clarke knew she could be honest with Miller. “I can’t lose him, Miller…”

The sentence hung in the air between them.

“Have you told him that?”

“Are you kidding? He hates me” she tried to laugh but it came out more like a strangled sob.

Miller snorted, “Are you blind, Griff? He DOESN’T hate you… Just the opposite. He wouldn’t have given you those hickeys if he hated you – no, don’t deny it”.

“Hmm… I wish I could believe that but he has told me in no uncertain terms what he thinks of fucking Alpha Princesses – and on more than one occasion…”

“Well even you hate fucking Alpha Princesses, Griff” Miller said sarcastically.

Clarke did laugh then, “Yeah, you know I do”

“It used to be the highlight of my day seeing you take them down in school whenever they went for you. I mean, you would've thought they'd learn their lesson and just leave you alone but to keep coming back and trying to win a verbal putdown fight with you every day – well it shows how fucking stupid they really were”.

“Glad my being terrorised by superficial bitches gave you some amusement” she said jokingly, before becoming more serious, “But Bellamy does hate them and he classifies me with them. I’ll never overcome that so what’s the point of telling him how I feel?”

“How do you feel?” asked Miller quietly

“She’s crazy about him” came the answer from the doorway.

“Wells!” said Clarke

Wells walked up behind Clarke, putting his hands on her shoulders. “How you holding up, Clarke?”

“I’m not the one I am worried about”, she replied.

“I notice you didn’t answer Miller’s question.”

“Yeah come on, Griff, spill the beans… and don’t think I didn’t see you stepping in front of Bellamy and fighting off three grounders with only your sword… what were you thinking?”

Clarke paused for a moment before replying, looking down to check Bellamy was still asleep, “Thinking… I was thinking that I would do anything to save him even if it meant I didn’t survive. I just reacted on instinct and would do the same again... every time.”

“Does that answer your question, Miller?” asked Wells.

“She loves him… you know you can admit it, right Griff?” said Miller

“If I love him, the first person I will admit it to is him. NOT you two. Now why don’t you bugger off and leave me alone.”

“You always were prickly” said Wells leaning down to squeeze her shoulder again, “Come on Miller, let’s leave the love birds alone”.

“Arseholes…” said Clarke as they left.

\--0--

Bellamy POV

Bellamy was having the weirdest dream. His body ached and he had never felt so tired. As hard as he tried, he didn’t have the energy to even open his eyes. He could feel a warm hand resting in his hair, slowly caressing him. A warm, electric pulse was running up his arm from the fingers interlinked with his hand, laying on the bed.

After a while, he became aware of voices – one of them was his Princess. He couldn’t initially make out the other voice but eventually realised it was Miller. He could hear Clarke saying someone hated her because she was from Alpha. Who did she mean? As far as he knew, he was the only one who teased her about that! He heard Miller chastising her for jumping into the fight today. Thank you, Miller. Bellamy was still furious with her for putting herself in danger like that. It sounded like Clarke had said that she would give up her own life to save him, if needed. Boy he must’ve been hit harder on the head than he thought today. Now he was imagining things. Clarke would never say that about him.

Someone else had joined the conversation – Wells - saying someone loved someone. His head was beginning to throb and he had to battle to follow the conversation. The last thing he remembered was hearing Clarke say “If I love him, the first person I will admit it to is him. NOT you two. Now why don’t you bugger off and leave me alone.” 

Who was she talking about? And with that thought, Bellamy slipped back into a deep sleep.

\--0--

Clarke POV

Octavia came back into the dropship shortly after Miller and Wells had left, carrying a plate of food for Clarke.

“How is he?”

“No change but then I don’t expect him to wake up for at least a few hours. He took a bad hit to the head and has lost a lot of blood.”

Octavia passed over the food and moved to sit next to Clarke while she ate in silence. After an hour, Clarke said “Tavia, you are falling asleep. Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll sit with him.”

“No, you go to bed Clarke. You haven’t had a break at all. I know you are worried about him... and I know why... but you need to rest.”

“I won’t sleep for worrying about him, Tavia. There’s no point my even trying. Off you go and I promise to call you if anything changes.”

The girls hugged again and Tavia left quietly. Clarke shifted forward, placing her head on the bed, next to where she was holding Bellamy’s hand. She finally found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep.

\--0--

Bellamy POV

Bellamy gradually became aware of a snuffling sound. What was that? Had an animal got into his tent? He slowly opened his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. Where was here? Squinting as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realised he was in the dropship. Oh that's right. Now it all came back to him. He'd got injured. They must've carried him back to camp and put him in the dropship. He remembered dreams of stabbing pain and then a fuzzy conversation. But none of this explained the snuffling sound.

Bellamy turned his head to see a figure leaning over the cot, fast asleep. Oh. That was why his hand felt so warm. As his eyes adjusted more, he realised it was Clarke. What was the Princess doing sleeping here in the middle of the night? And how long would he be able to resist teasing her about her snuffling sleepy sounds?

“Princess” he croaked.

He felt her body tense and her head sprang up, sleepy eyes meeting his. 

“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been put through the garbage compacter on Mecha Station” he said, trying to sound lighthearted.

She jumped up and he felt her hand in his hair, feeling the lump on his head and then gently caressing his face. “Don’t joke. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Do you want some water?”

“Yes please.” He felt Clarke remove her hand from his hair and her other hand slipped from his grasp on the bed. He immediately felt the loss. She was back in a few seconds with a cup of water and gently supported his head while he drank. 

“If you’re feeling up to it, I’ll make you some seaweed tea. It will help reduce inflammation and fight off infection.” Not giving him a chance to reply, she picked up a walkie-talkie and said “Monty, do you read me?”

A sleepy “I’m here Clarke” came back from Monty.

“Sorry to disturb you but we need hot water for seaweed tea. Bell is awake but I don’t want to leave him alone. Can you pop your head in and tell Tavia on your way over please?” Bellamy jolted in surprise. Clarke had just called him Bell. She never called him that. Only Octavia had ever called him Bell. It sounded intimate.

“That’s great news, Griff. We’ll be over in a flash” came a different voice in reply.

“Thanks Miller… oh and I won’t ask why you are there but I will want full details tomorrow. Remember my love life only lives vicariously through you…”

Miller laughed in reply before cutting off the connection. Clarke turned to look at Bellamy and arched an eyebrow in question. What was she asking now? He had no idea so just rolled his eyes.

Clarke moved to the cupboard and pulled out a couple of candles. She leaned out of the dropship door to light one candle using one of the burning torches before bringing it back in and lighting the other candles. Soon the room was bathed in a gentle light.

Miller and Monty came in, followed shortly after by Octavia. She ran to Bellamy and grabbed his hand, “Oh Bell. I’m so glad to see you awake. You had Clarke and I very worried”

“Hmm. Don’t think I’m not angry with both of you for what you did today. You could’ve been killed!” Bellamy suddenly remembered his fury and blind panic when first Clarke and then Octavia had stepped between him and the grounders with only their swords to protect them. He had never felt so horrified in his life as he watched them battle to save him.

“Now is not the time to do this”, said Clarke, quickly stirring the seaweed into the hot water, “Wait until you are fully recovered and we promise to let you yell at us to your heart’s content.”

She moved back to the bed, “Do you think you can sit up Bell or do you need help?” He saw the surprised look on Monty, Miller and Octavia’s face. So they had noticed it too. Clarke looked puzzled – did she not realise what she had called him?

He tried to sit up but it hurt too much. “I think I’ll need help”, he groaned.

Clarke moved in to help him before anyone else could, wrapping her arms around his chest and supporting him as he sat up. Her cheek was resting against his heart and he felt a deep warmth and sense of contentment invade his whole body. It was gone too quickly as she moved away to get the tea and passed it to him to drink. His eyes met hers as he took a sip. “Urgh, this tastes like shit, Princess.” It really was foul.

“Of course it does Bell but you are going to drink it and I won’t take no for an answer”. She had that determined look on her face, chin tilted at him defiantly. He knew it was no use but to do as she said.

“You better drink it, man” said Miller, “I don’t think we can handle her anxiety over you for much longer. I thought Clarke was going to have a full on panic attack for a while there, especially when you didn’t wake up for so long…”

“Whatever my Princess demands” he replied cheekily. Their eyes met again and they continued to gaze at each other as he drank the tea. Her blue eyes were shining in the candle light and he thought he could drown in them forever and be happy man. 

Too long. You’ve been starring too long. But he couldn’t drag himself away.

“Well this is all getting awkward so I’m off back to bed. I’ve got an early shift on the wall”, said Miller.

“I’ll come with you”, said Monty. He sounded uncomfortable too.

Bellamy thanked them and said good night, not moving his eyes from Clarke once. He heard Octavia cough awkwardly and said “Sleep well, Bell. I’ll see you in the morning.” She touched Clarke’s arm in support, giving her a meaningful look and then left.

Bellamy finished the drink and handed the cup back to Clarke. 

“So you were worried about me?” he asked hesitantly

“Well of course, I was worried about you, you big dummy. How would I run this camp on my own? I’d never have a minute’s peace”.

“Is that the only reason?”

Clarke didn’t reply. She looked down and opened her mouth to respond but no words came out.

Bellamy continued, “Clarke when you stepped between me and those three grounders today, I thought you were going to die… Please don’t ever do that again…”

“I can’t promise that Bell. If you think for a minute, I am going to do nothing when I could save you, you don’t know me very well.”

“Princess… I can’t lose you… and today I thought I would…” Much to his embarrassment it came out as a half sob.

Clarke took Bellamy’s hand in hers and brushed her fingers across his cheek, pushing the hair out of his eyes. She leaned closer and looked him in the eye.

“Bell… I know you hate me… I’m a fucking Alpha after all… but I…” she swallowed and looked down.

“Princess, you really must be blind… I don’t hate you… I never hated you…” he said. She put her finger on his lips to quieten him.

“Just let me say this before I chicken out… I almost lost you today… Life down here is f-f-fragile and it can be gone in an instant and I r-r-realised I don’t want to g-g-go another day without t-t-telling you that I… love you… I don’t expect you to say anything back. I just wanted to tell you”.

Bellamy couldn’t believe his ears. Was this possible? She was an Alpha and he was from Factory Station. She deserved so much more than he could ever give her but here she was saying she loved him. 

Clarke looked up again, tears now streaming down her face.

“Princess… I love you too… I’m in love with you…I can’t believe you could ever want a low-life like me.”

She laughed now, “Oh Bell. Don’t say that. You are the most loyal, caring and intelligent person I know… you have such a big heart... I’m the one who doesn’t deserve…”

He cut her off by closing the distance between them and gently kissing her. She sighed and leaned in further to deepen the kiss. After a moment, he was struggling for breath and they pulled apart.

“You really love me?” she asked

“Yeah”

“Hmm. Well just so you know, I don’t share so you can tell your harem to piss off”

“Clarke, there is no harem. Those girls, they came in and offered but I didn’t take them up on the offer. I sent them back out straight away… oh and I don’t share either!”

Clarke smiled and touched her forehead against his. “As much as I’d like to talk to you all night, you’d better get some more sleep, Bell.”

“Stay with me?”

“Of course. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.” She replied as she blew out all the candles, plunging the dropship into darkness.

Bellamy moved to lie down and lifted the blanket, “there’s room up here for two if you’d like…” He felt himself grinning as Clarke smiled and slid onto the bed beside him, wrapping her body around him and tucking her head onto his chest.

They were asleep in seconds.


	30. You're a wonderful man, Bellamy Blake

Clarke POV

Clarke was having the most wonderful dream. Bellamy was telling her he loved her. She woke slowly with a wonderful feeling of contentment and warmth. As she opened her eyes, she realised she was wrapped in Bellamy’s arms with her head on his chest. Oh. It wasn’t a dream. She’d told him she loved him and he had said he loved her too. Clarke smiled as she remembered their gentle kiss. How did she get to be so lucky? She knew she was bossy, slightly neurotic and well let’s face it, not easy but somehow he loved her.

Clarke shifted to check on Bellamy’s injuries. They were all starting to heal and not showing any signs of infection. Thank goodness. He would need to stay in bed for at least a day, which he would hate, but he was recovering well. She snuggled back down into his arms and drifted off to sleep again.

\--0—

Octavia POV

Octavia had awoken early and decided to see how Bellamy was feeling. She slipped quietly into the dropship and gasped as she took in the sight of Clarke and Bellamy, their bodies wound around each other as they slept. They looked so peaceful and so happy. She hoped they had finally talked about their feelings for each other. The camp had been a powder keg for the last few weeks while they flipped from arguing loudly to completely ignoring each other. The tension between them had been unbearable, with many of the delinquents saying “I wish they would just fuck already and get it over with”. Octavia had to laugh when she thought about it. It was lucky Clarke was not aware of what people had been saying because she would be mortified.

A betting pool had been started with kids waging chores on when they thought the two leaders would become a couple. Smiling, Octavia turned and quietly left the dropship going in search of Monty and Jasper. She found them sitting with Miller who was on guard duty.

“Morning” she said

“Morning Tavia. How is Bellamy doing?” asked Monty

Octavia laughed. “I’ve just come from the dropship. I think you should all see for yourselves but make sure you go in quietly… don’t disturb them.”

The three boys all looked at each other, puzzled. Miller called to Munroe to ask her to take over his guard duty temporarily and the four then moved back into the dropship. It was still relatively dark in the dropship with the only light being provided by sun streaming through the gap in the curtain over the door.

All four came to a stop when they took in the view before them. Bellamy and Clarke were still sleeping on the bed together. Their bodies completely entwined with Clarke’s head resting on Bellamy’s chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around her and his face was buried in her hair. There was an intimacy to their embrace which made the four delinquents all smile. Wells and Raven came in to join them.

“Oh” said Wells, on seeing the couple together, “Do you think we should call it?”

Raven pulled a face and said “Damn. I’d bet it would be at least another week. I hate latrine duty.”

“So who won the bet, Monty?” asked Jasper.

Monty laughed and said “you and I did, Jas”

“Wahoo!” came his reply, only to be greeted by loud shushing from the others.

“Should we wake them?” asked Miller, “Griff isn’t going to be happy if she knows we saw this.” 

They all laughed again only to be interrupted by Bellamy saying “Can you guys keep it down? I’m trying to heal here.”

Octavia ran over and smiled at Bellamy over Clarke’s head. “I’m so happy for you, Bell.”

“What are you talking about, O?”

“You and Clarke, of course. Although I should say that she is my best friend Bell. If you hurt her, I will make you pay.”

Bellamy looked down at Clarke and smiled again. “I’d sooner cut off my own arm than hurt her, O… Hang on, I am your brother. You should be warning her not to hurt me.”

“Oh I will, don’t worry”, she said with a laugh. It made her heart sing to see him so happy. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. My whole body aches and it hurts to move but other than that, I’m golden”, a smirk filling his face.

“Idiot” came a muffled response from his chest. Clarke was awake. Octavia watched as Clarke slowly stretched and looked up to meet Bellamy’s eyes. They shared a deep look before Bellamy whispered, “Hey” and Clarke said “Hey” in response, smiling.

“Oh lord. This is going to be worse than the arguing and the cold shoulder treatment”, said Raven with disgust, “Now we have to watch them make gooey eyes at each other”. Millers, Monty, Jasper and Wells all laughed and slowly shuffled out of the dropship with Raven to find some breakfast.

“I’ll get you both some breakfast and I’m assuming you’ll want more hot water for Bell’s seaweed tea, Clarke?” asked Octavia.

“Thanks Tavia. And yes, definitely more hot water” she replied as Bellamy groaned in response.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Octavia hurried out of the dropship to get food and water.

“How are you feeling this morning, Bell?” asked Clarke, “How’s the pain on a scale of 1 to 10?”

“Pain is about a 3… but I’m feeling good this morning, thanks to you… how are you feeling?” He looked nervous, as if expecting Clarke to have changed her mind. She leaned down to place a quick kiss on his lips and said “Never felt better” It came out more husky than she had anticipated. 

Before Clarke could move away, Bellamy brought their lips together again. This time the kiss was insistent, urgent and filled with desperation. Clarke gasped in response and Bellamy took advantage, sliding his tongue into her mouth deepening the kiss. Clarke’s body responded immediately, fire rushing through her veins causing her to shudder in pleasure. She slide her hands into his hair and began to card his curls with her fingers. He moaned in response, his hands roaming over her body demandingly and he pulled her leg over his hips so she was wrapped around him. Clarke could feel her breasts flattened against Bellamy’s warm, hard chest. The feeling causing a tremor of desire to run through her, and she lost herself in his kiss. Oh he was definitely good at this.

“Lord, you two. Get a room!”

Clarke and Bellamy sprang apart, gasping for air. Clarke quickly scrambled off the bed and sat on the stool nearby.

“Definitely time to call in the bets then” said Octavia laughing as she passed them a plate ladened with fruit and berries. Clarke and Bellamy ate in silence while Octavia looked at them knowingly.

“Good morning. How is your brother feeling?” said Lincoln as he confidently strode into the dropship and put his arm around Octavia’s shoulders. Bellamy gasped in response, “What the hell is this?”

Clarke quickly moved forward placing a hand on his chest, “It’s okay… calm down, Bell… This is Lincoln.”

“I know who he is. He is the grounder who stabbed Wells!” As he said the words, Wells came hurrying in saying “Oh I thought this might cause a problem!” before moving to stand next to Lincoln. 

“Wells have forgiven him, Bell” said, “It was all a misunderstanding.”

“What the fuck is he doing with his arm around my little sister?”

“Now Bell…”

“What? You knew about this and you didn’t tell me?” he turned to look at Clarke with outrage written on his face. She had known this argument was inevitable from the day Octavia confided in her.

“I’m standing right here” shouted Octavia, “I told you it’s my life not yours and I’ll do what I want to.”

“Bell...” Clarke said looking at him entreatingly, “Lincoln is not like the grounders who attacked us. He actually helped us fight them off yesterday…”

“I thought I could trust you, Princess” he spat at her, his eyes filled with hurt.

Clarke sighed. He was right and she was big enough to admit it.

“You’re right… I should’ve told you… I’m sorry…” she turned away looking defeated. The pain of her betrayal cutting through her like a knife. For a few short hours, she’d been happy. The happiest she’d ever been and now she’d lost him because she’d been too scared to be honest with him.

“You’re not being fair to Clarke, Bell” said Octavia, “Be mad with me not her. Don’t forget you have done nothing but shout at her and ignore her for the last two weeks. When would she have had the opportunity to tell you? You’ve barely spoken to her.”

“No, Tavia... Bell is right… I should have told him.”

As she turned to leave, Bellamy reached out to grab Clarke’s wrist with his fingers and drag her closer to him. “Princess…” She raised her eyes to him, tears flowing down her face, “I’m sorry…” she mumbled. Bellamy pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her.

“Maybe we should give them some time alone” said Wells, indicating to Octavia and Lincoln. The slipped out of the dropship.

“Princess, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you. It’s Octavia who should have told me. You were only trying to help her.” As he spoke, Bellamy ran his hand down Clarke’s back, rubbing it gently to soothe her and apologise.

“I love you, Bell” she said quietly.

“I love you too, Princess”, he said into her hair, “Tell me about Lincoln”. Clarke told him what Octavia had said to her after she had returned from being captured and explained how she would sneak away from camp each afternoon to see him. She described how Octavia and Lincoln had heard them fighting off the grounders and had both run to help. Lincoln had saved Monty and Miller’s lives and had been ready to kill his own people to do so.

“Do you think you could ask him to come back in so I can apologise for overreacting and thank him for yesterday?” he said finally.

“You’re a wonderful man, Bellamy Blake… and I don’t know what I did to be lucky enough to deserve you” she said, kissing him quickly then running from the dropship to find Octavia and Lincoln.


	31. Mom and Dad

Bellamy POV

A week had passed since his injuries and Bellamy was finally free of pain. He surveyed the camp from his position high on the wall. The meeting hall and two of the cabins were almost finished and the smoke house wouldn’t be much longer. It was really starting to look like a village. He couldn’t help the surge of pride that spread through him as he thought of his kids - yes, they were his kids – and he was proud of everything they had achieved since arriving on earth a month ago.

As he watched, Clarke came out of their tent. Their tent. She had moved her stuff into his tent a week ago, looking slightly embarrased, making an excuse that it made sense to give up her space in Octavia's tent as it was more efficient use of resources. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have this wonderful, strong woman in his life. And she had chosen him! He was feeling particularly happy today as last night they had taken the final step in their relationship. He had known Clarke was a virgin and hadn’t wanted to rush her but last night she had said she was ready. 

A warm flush fell over his face as he thought about what they had done in bed last night. She was far more passionate and enthusiastic than her cool, Princess demeanour indicated. She had also been a very quick learner. He had always had a healthy sexual appetite but last night felt so different to any of his previous encounters. He’d always been careful to keep things casual and not get entangled and that had been fine. It was different with Clarke and the depth of his feelings for her - and hers for him - had given a whole different dimension to their love making. He had never known it could be so wonderful. He was a lucky man, indeed.

Her blonde hair looked almost luminescent in the morning sunshine and she had a relaxed smile on her face. Almost as if she could feel his scrutiny, she looked up – her eyes meeting his shyly, a blush stealing over her face. He knew she was thinking about last night too. Even over this distance, he could feel the love radiating from her gaze. Her smile became a wide grin and he felt himself smirking in reply.

“Mom… Mom… Roma has cut her arm” said Munroe running towards Clarke. He watched as Clarke put her arm around Munroe and said “It’s going to be okay Sweetheart. Where is she now?” In the last week, the kids had become more open about calling them Mom and Dad. It had started the second week they were on the ground but, for the most part, had been an open secret amongst the delinquents with none of them being brave enough to do it to their faces. Now it seemed no one called them anything else, except maybe Octavia and Wells. Even Raven had adopted the nickname and she was older than Clarke! He guessed they were acting like defacto parents to the delinquents. And maybe that was more parenting than some of them had ever had in their life. He liked to grumble about it but he really didn't mind.

He watched as Clarke and Munroe helped Roma into the dropship, Clarke calling for Octavia to come and assist saying “This will be good practice for you.” The friendship between Clarke and Octavia had only grown, if that was possible. Under Clarke's guidance, he could see Octavia becoming a strong, confident woman and he was glad she had such a good role model.

An hour later, Clarke emerged from the dropship and made her way to where Bellamy was guarding the wall.

“Morning Bell”

“Morning Princess… What is it?” He knew that look on her face. There was a furrow on her forehead as if she was trying to figure out a complex puzzle and wasn’t sure if she had found the answer.

“You know me too well…” she laughed. “I’ve been thinking about Jaha” Bellamy stiffened as she mentioned the Chancellor’s name. “They are going to be down here any day, Bell. We need to talk to him.”

He knew she was right but had been putting it off so he could enjoy being with her without worrying about the future. Clarke had been doing the same. She had avoided any communication with the Ark in an attempt to not have to speak to her mother. They both knew it couldn’t last.

“I’ve asked Raven to speak to the Ark and line up a time for this afternoon.”

“Clarke…” he saw her head spring up in surprise at his use of her name and decided to try to lighten the mood, smirking as he said, “I thought you didn’t like to be called Princess?”

“I don’t like to be called Princess by anyone else as it sounds like a judgement or criticism. You know how I feel about Alpha… but when you call me Princess, it doesn’t sound like that”, she moved to put wrap her hands around his biceps, “I like it when you call me Princess because it sounds like you are calling me YOUR Princess.”

Bellamy felt his heart flutter. “You are MY Princess – in every way now” he said, his voice dropping as he looked her up and down with a heated gaze, before leaning in to put his forehead against hers. He was glad to see her smile in response.

“Okay. Let’s talk to the Ark… I know we can’t put it off any longer, Princess”, he said.

“You just about finished your shift?” she asked.

“Yep. Do you want to grab breakfast?” As he asked, he saw Sterling striding towards him, with his hands outstretched to take the gun and his place on the wall. Bellamy handed the gun over and gave Sterling a brief update before grabbing Clarke’s hand as they walked off to have breakfast.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke couldn’t ever remember being as happy as she was now. She looked around the group of delinquents – her kids – sitting around the fire having breakfast. She'd even got used to them calling her Mom, even though some of them were only a few months younger. There was a warm contentment about the camp now. A real sense of community, built through having to rely on each other and battle to survive on the ground. 

Bellamy was sitting next to her, their shoulders touching. Warmth flooded her where their skin met. It brought back memories of similar skin on skin contact last night and she felt a blush staining her cheeks. He had been so patient and caring with her, knowing it was her first time. His entire focus had been on making sure she felt comfortable and enjoyed the experience. He truly had the biggest heart and was so caring. He was also incredibly hot and she looked down, blushing again as she thought back to her boldness the night before. A longing filled her body - she was becoming insatiable! Shouting from the gate broke Clarke out of her daydreams.

“Mom! Dad!” came the cry

Bellamy and Clarke got up and ran to the gate. As they got closer, they could see Lincoln waiting patiently to be let in while the delinquents argued amongst themselves.

“How many times do I have to tell you that Lincoln is always welcome in this camp” said Clarke. She knew she sounded like an angry parent but just couldn't help herself. She'd told them what felt like a thousand times but being typical teenagers they never seemed to remember.

“Sorry Lincoln” said Bellamy, stepping forward and greeting him with usual grounder hand to elbow greeting.

“No need to apologise. It is good your guards are so vigilant.” He nodded to Clarke in greeting. As he spoke, Octavia came running out of the dropship and hugged him.

“I need to speak to you both” said Lincoln, “Somewhere private.” It sounded serious and Clarke found her stomach instantly knotting in worry.

“Dropship” said Bellamy turning to lead the way.

Once in the dropship, Clarke found four stools and they all sat down. She tried not to hold her breathe but found herself doing it again as she waited to Lincoln to speak.

“My Heda – that's what the head of my people, Trikru, is called... She's angry that you've landed and in her words, just taken her territory. I have explained your circumstances and told her you do not want war with Trikru. She has finally agreed to meet you both to see if peace is possible.”

“Oh Lincoln. Thank you” said Clarke. She knew peace was the best option for them if they wanted to survive in the long term.

Lincoln nodded in reply. “She wants to meet with you and Bellamy today. I am to take you there now. You are allowed to bring two guards and no more.”

“What?” said Bellamy, “We can’t risk it Clarke. I won’t allow them to kill you. Two guards is not enough to defend us against them.”

“Lincoln, what do you think?” asked Clarke. She agreed with Bellamy about the need for adequate protection but she didn’t want to jeopardise the chance for peace.

“You can bring other weapons such as knives and I know you and Octavia have swords but only two guards with guns. My people do not have access to such weaponry. To allow you to bring more, would put Heda’s life at risk.”

“What if we had another two guards follow at a distance and remain hidden? Would that offend your Heda?” she asked. She could feel Bellamy’s eyes on her.

“As long as they were truly hidden, Heda would not know they were there but if she sees them, it could risk the peace process.”

Clarke turned to Bellamy, “Well…”

“Let’s take Wells and Raven with guns as our guards. They are both excellent shots and will keep a calm head. I’ll ask Miller and Munroe to follow carefully. They are both very good at being quiet and keeping out of sight – it’s why they are both our most successful hunters.”

“Right let’s do it then” she said suddenly feeling excited that today could bring true peace. Bellamy left to brief Miller and Munroe, while Clarke went in search of Raven and Wells. She also took several bags of nuts so she could use them to leave a trail for Miller and Munroe. It would mean they could follow at a bigger distance and hopefully remain unseen.

As the group assembled at the gate to leave, Bellamy called out "Monty! Jasper! You’re in charge”. Clarke could hear the tension in his voice and see it in the way he held his shoulders. She hoped today would bring them all they wanted.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Lincoln had led them to a bridge and they only had to wait 5 minutes before a group of grounders approached, several on horseback. “Horses!” said Octavia excitedly. It brought a smile to everyone’s lips. A woman of about 25 rode forward and dismounted from her horse. She had war paint around her eyes and over her cheeks, her sandy brown hair in long and complicated braids.

The group stepped forward but Lincoln stopped them, “No. Only Clarke and Bellamy can go forward to meet Heda.”. So this was Heda. She was younger than Clarke had expected but hopefully that would work in their favour. Bellamy reached down and took Clarke’s hand in his and they walked forward together. They stopped about a metre from Heda and waited for her to speak. Clarke could almost feel her heart pounding out of her chest. Please let this work.

“I am Anya. Which of you is the leader of your group?”

Bellamy spoke up “We lead together. I am Bellamy and this is Clarke.”

Anya looked down taking in their joined hands and nodded.

“I think we got off to a rough start but we want to find a way to live together in peace” said Clarke hopefully.

“I understand”, said Anya her voice hard, “You started a war you don’t understand.”

“What? No. We didn’t start any war. You attacked us for no reason.” said Bellamy. Clarke agreed. They had defended themselves when attacked but certainly hadn’t been the aggressors.

“You dropped from the sky and stole my land. You are invaders. You’ve hunted in my hunting grounds.” Clarke could tell Anya was angry and they needed to diffuse the situation.

“We were sent down by our people to see if the ground was safe. We didn’t know anyone had survived here”, she said.

“These are all acts of war” said Anya

Bellamy made to reply but Clarke put up her hand to stop him. She stepped forward and said “I see your point but none of it was intentional. Is there no way we can find a solution and work together? We did not mean to commit any acts of war.”

“Lincoln said there are more of you coming down. Warriors” said Anya

Bellamy moved forward to stand alongside Clarke again, saying “The guard. Yes, but also our famers, engineers, doctors. There is a lot we can share with you to bring about prosperity for both of our peoples.”

“Can you promise that these new arrivals will keep to any treaty agreement we make?”

“We are speaking to them this afternoon and will do everything in our power to convince them”, said Clarke. She wanted to say yes but knew that it would be foolish to lie to Anya.

“And what about your people here on the ground now. Do you have skilled people here?” Anya asked

“Yes. We do. We have an engineer, several famers and I am doctor” said Clarke.

Clarke watched as Anya looked at them thoughtfully. “And would your lover allow you to spend time in our village to share your knowledge with our healers when it is needed?” she asked Clarke, indicating to Bellamy and their still entwined hands.

Clarke looked at Bellamy and could see in his eyes that he didn’t like that idea at all but she knew it would be worth the risk for peace. “Yes, he will… as long as I am allowed to bring a guard as protection”.

“Hmm. Do you agree?” she asked Bellamy directly.

“Yes” he said. Clarke could hear the tension in his voice and squeezed his hand with her own.

“We have knowledge of how to hunt, how to survive winter and medicinal plants that we would be willing to share with you in exchange. We would need to discuss further arrangements for giving you land and hunting grounds but that can wait until you have shown you can follow our deal. Would this serve as evidence of my commitment to peace?”

“Yes”, they both replied simultaneously.

Anya reached forward and gripped Clarke’s elbow in the traditional grounder greeting before repeating it with Bellamy. “Then we have peace, for now… but this is only with you, Skaikru - your people already here on the ground, not those in the stars. They will need to reach their own arrangement with us and if they refuse and engage in war, we will expect you to honour your commitment to Trikru and fight alongside us and not with those from the stars… Just as we would fight alongside you, if you were threatened.”

Clarke couldn’t help but smile at this. It could be very helpful to have Trikru support if the 100 delinquents decided not to re-join the Ark people when they landed. Her eyes met Bellamy’s and she could see he was thinking the same. He gave her a small nod.

“We have a deal” she said confidently.

“As a sign of our faith, I will send a small party of my people to your camp tomorrow. It will be a healer, one of our best hunters and a member of my own governing body who can help advise on camp arrangements. We will commit to sharing our knowledge with you and helping you to establish your village so you can survive.”

“Thank you, Anya” said Clarke

Anya then turned and walked back to her horse, mounting in one fluid motion before leading the contingent back into the forest. Only when they had disappeared completely, did Clarke release the breath she had been holding. She turned to Bellamy and leapt into his arms. He caught her and spun her around, as they both laughed with joy.

“I assume it went well then?” asked Wells as he made his way to them with Raven, Lincoln and Octavia.

“Better than well”, said Clarke, “We have a real chance of being free from the Ark for good, if our people decide that is what they want.”


	32. Once a liar, always a liar... Or Clarke gets angry!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit more swearing than normal in this chapter but it is warranted :-)
> 
> I don't own The 100
> 
> Please don't be a silent reader

Bellamy POV

By the time they had got back to camp, Bellamy’s joy at the peace deal had started to dim as his anxiety about their upcoming conversation with Jaha increased. News of the peace deal had made it to camp so he organised what the delinquents called a Fireside meeting – where all the delinquents gathered around the campfire. He briefly announced that a peace deal had been struck with Trikru and explained what it would mean. The kids cheered at the news and immediately began planning a party to celebrate that evening.

After lunch, Bellamy was in conversation with the building team working on the meeting hall when he heard Raven calling out "Mom and Dad" across the camp. He turned to see her standing in what had become their communication tent. Clarke had insisted the radio be moved out of the dropship med bay about three weeks ago – no doubt as a measure to ensure she wouldn’t have to speak to her Mom. Raven had now created a Comms centre in a tent and had even managed to scavenge a screen from a nearby bunker so they could now have video conferences with the Ark.

Sighing, Bellamy made his way towards Raven.

“Where’s Mom?” she asked, “Jaha is online in 5 minutes.”

“Here she comes” he said, pointing to where Clarke was making her way from Monty’s garden area towards them.

“Let’s get this over with” she said as she approached.

“Why are you so grumpy, Princess?” he asked, “I’m the one Jaha wants to kill”.

“Yeah but I’m the one who has to speak to fucking Abby” she grumbled before looking at him apologetically saying “Sorry. My mother has this effect on me.”

He laughed and put his arm around her and led her into the tent. 

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke had been dreading this conversation all day. She knew they had to do it and it would be a relief to know one way or another – like ripping off a plaster – but that still made it painful. She glanced at Bellamy and could tell he was tense. His knee was bouncing under the table and his eyes kept darting to the screen and then away again. She needed to be strong and confident for him.

Taking a deep breath, she said “We got this, Bell” and gave him her best confident smile. He smiled in response and took her hand in his under the table. They’d both agreed to not disclose their relationship to the Ark as it would undoubtedly lead to questions about their ability to be effective leaders and Clarke's motives in arguing for him to be pardoned.

Chancellor Jaha appeared on the screen in front of them accompanied by a long burst of static.

“Clarke”, he said with a nod, “Mr Blake. How nice of you to make time for me”. 

The sarcasm was thick and Clarke steeled herself for a fight. Jaha wouldn’t give in easily but she would be damned if she’d let them hurt Bellamy. She had plan B and C already in her mind, if her plan A didn’t work. She didn’t get to be the youngest medical apprentice without using her wits and Jaha had always been more tied up in his ego than anything else. Yeah, she’d got this.

“Good morning Uncle Thelonious” said Clarke, deliberately going into full Alpha Princess mode and using the name she called him when she was 5 years old. She squeezed Bellamy’s hand under the table as a sign for him to go with her.

“Clarke, your mother is here waiting to speak to you after our call.”

“Thank you. I look forward to speaking to her. I’ve realised I’ve been behaving very childishly and am hoping she will forgive me so we can put it behind us” she said, now lying blatantly but hoping Jaha wouldn’t realise. She could feel Bellamy’s eyes on her in surprise. She squeezed his hand again.

“I have some questions for Mr Blake” said Jaha.

“Before you do, can I just say something please? I know you are very busy so I don’t want to waste your precious time but I would be grateful if I could speak first”. Clarke realised she was now batting her eyelids at Jaha. God. Could she ever forgive herself? She’d always been hopeless in drama class but this was an award winning performance.

“Of course, dear. Speak” he responded. Good. He’d called her dear. She’d drawn him in.

“Well I know you had your reasons but we both know that you sent the 100 down here to die. You didn’t give us any supplies or training, no guidance at all. It’s only because of Bellamy that most of us are still alive. Without his skills and his leadership, we wouldn’t be here. You said the 100 would be pardoned if we survived”, she paused for effect, “I t-t-think B-B-Bellamy deserves to be p-p-pardoned. J-J-Just like the r-r-rest of us.” She deliberately stuttered her way through, giving Jaha her best vapid Alpha Princess smile.

“Oh Clarke dear”, he said patronisingly. Clarke gripped Bellamy’s hand under the desk in her only outward display of anger. “It’s just not that simple. I know you will find it hard to understand the politics but I just can’t do that”. Clarke had to stifle that gasp that rose in her throat at his insult. But she also felt a surge of power, he was fooled. Now for the death blow.

“Oh Uncle Theo. That’s very sad” she said innocently, “Because I thought you wanted to know who organised for Bellamy to shoot you?” She could see Bellamy’s shoulders shaking as if he wanted to burst out laughing but did her best to ignore joining in.

“Of course, Sweetie. I’m looking forward to hearing what Mr Blake has to say” he replied

“Then pardon him”, she said, her voice now hard and cold. Channelling her mother as much as possible she went on to say, “If you want to know who wants you dead, you’ll need to pardon him first. And deliver it in front of two witnesses. We’ll give you a minute to think about it but if you say no, this call ends.”

Bellamy and Clarke stood immediately and moved out of the Comms tent. They had agreed they would do this in case they needed to further discuss strategy during the call.

“Uncle Theo?” whispered Bellamy, “Jesus Princess, I almost laughed out loud!”

“Sorry Bell. It only came to me at the last minute. I haven’t called him that since I was 5 but I thought it wouldn’t hurt” They both burst out laughing.

After two minutes, the re-entered the Comms tent and sat back down in front of the screen. Jaha was still onscreen.

“Have you reached a decision?” asked Clarke, her voice still hard.

“Yes. Abby. Kane can you come in and appear on screen as witnesses please”

Clarke turned and yelled for Raven and Wells who both came in quickly. They had been standing by to be witnesses, if needed. Clarke saw her mom and Kane move into screen. Jaha leaned forward and said “Bellamy Blake. I hereby pardon you of your crimes… Now tell me. Who organised the hit?”

Bellamy looked at Clarke and she nodded saying “Thanks Raven and Wells. We’ll take it from here.” As they left, Wells squeezed both Bellamy’s and Clarke’s shoulder making sure it was in full view of the screen so his father, Abby and Kane could see. 

Jaha looked shocked and said “Wells, I’d like to talk to you later please”

Bellamy then turned to the screen and said “It was Shumway. He came to me 30 minutes before the dropship was due to launch and offered me a deal so I could come down here to look after my sister. A place on the dropship if I killed the Chancellor. He’d organised the whole thing. Gave me the gun, knew where you were and had a guard’s uniform for me so I could slip onto the dropship. I’m sure the CCTV from my pod and Factory Station corridors will show him coming to see me at that time and handing me the gun.”

“Thank you, Mr Blake” said Jaha, “Kane, can you investigate please immediately?” Turning back to the screen, he said, “Clarke, I’ll leave you to talk to your mother”.

Clarke didn’t say anything. Bellamy squeezed her hand under the table and got up to leave.

“Clarke”

“Abby”

“What the hell do you think you are playing at protecting that criminal?”

“We’re all criminals down here, Abby. Me included – treason, remember”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Clarke. I forebid you to speak to that boy any more. He's dangerous. I can’t believe you were defending him and then manipulating Jaha like that. It’s outrageous.”

“I thought you’d be proud. I learnt it all from you, after all”

“Clarke!" Then as an after thought, she added "Well it won’t matter anyway when we get down there.”

“What won’t matter?” Clarke had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Talking to Abby always set her on edge but now she was beginning to feel real panic. What did she mean?

"When we get down, you’ll join our camp and Jaha can arrest Blake without any problem.”

“BUT HE JUST PARDONED HIM!” she knew she was shouting but couldn’t help herself.

“Yes but he can easily frame him for something else. No, you just avoid him until we get there. We should be down in a weeks’ time. It’s taking longer to choose who will get a seat on the dropships as we don’t have enough for everyone up here”. Abby just said it as if she was telling a child there were no more berries left, not that people would die. Clarke felt her breath stuttering. How had she never realised how truly cold her mother was? It made what she said next easier.

“I will continue talking to him and we won’t be joining you when come down here. We have our own camp and our own rules and we will NEVER ALLOW YOU TO HURT BELLAMY BLAKE!” She slammed the off button down cutting the connection. And screamed in frustration. Stomping out of the tent, she tried counting to 10 loudly but it didn’t help.

“The mother fucking cow… what a complete and utter, heartless bitch…I’d rather have the devil as my mother than that sanctimonious fucking bitch!” She was pacing up and down and building up into a really good rant.

“Raven, get Bellamy” said Wells from nearby, “Clarke’s having a meltdown”. Raven ran off and soon returned with Bellamy. He walked up to Clarke to stand in front of her but she didn’t see him, too caught up in her rant and her pacing, muttering “mother fucker” repeatedly.

Clarke only became aware Bellamy was in front of her when he gently put his hands on her arms and stopped her motion.

“Bell?” she said, looking up confused.

“Princess, are you okay?”

“No. No, I’m not”, she said, tears now streaming down her face, “The pardon is a sham. They are going to frame you for something else so they can kill you. My mother just told me and she sounded pleased with herself… THAT FUCKING BITCH!” Yes, she knew she was shouting again but she couldn’t help it. “OVER MY DEAD BODY… SHE’S NOT GETTING ANYWHERE NEAR YOU!”

“Princess, I need you to calm down and take some deep breaths” Bellamy was obviously trying his best to remain calm but she had seen the flash of fear on his face.

Octavia ran up and took Clarke into her arms, rocking her back and forwards. “It’s okay, Clarke. No one in this camp is going to let anything happen to Bell”. After a few minutes, Clarke felt herself getting calmer and her reason returned.

Looking at Bellamy she said “Looks like it's Plan B then. We need a Fireside with everyone tonight to vote on whether to re-join the Ark or stay separate.” 

Turning to Octavia, “Tavia, can you ask Lincoln to come to the Fireside tonight. We’re going to need to keep Anya in the loop of developments?”


	33. We are Grounders

Clarke POV

By the time everyone gathered for the Fireside and the following party, Clarke had calmed down. She knew she shouldn’t let Abby wind her up like that but if anyone knew which buttons to push, it was Abby. She was sitting on a log near the fire, with Bellamy on her right and Octavia and Lincoln on her left. Raven and Wells were sitting opposite while Monty, Miller and Jasper were in a huddle on the other side of Bellamy.

While they ate, Bellamy turned to speak to Miller to discuss guard rotations. Octavia and Clarke took the opportunity to catch up. Today had been the first day in weeks that they hadn’t sparred together and if felt like ages since they’d had a good chat.

“Thank you so much for convincing Bellamy to accept Lincoln” said Octavia

“Tavia, I didn’t convince him of anything. Once he’d calmed down, he realised the truth”

“Yeah but you got him to calm down weeks ahead of anything anyone else could achieve”

Clarke laughed, “I think you are over-estimating my influence, Tavia. Your brother is a wonderful man.” As she said it, she turned to look at him and feeling her eyes, he turned to smile at her.

“Oh don’t go all gooey on me. I know he is”, said Octavia laughing, “but have you spotted the other love birds?”

Clarke turned back quickly to see Octavia smirking. It really must be a Blake thing!

“No”

“Look across the fire” said Octavia, nodding where Raven and Wells were sat.

Clarke looked over and could see that they were sitting unusually close and had their heads together as they talked. Now she thought about it Raven and Wells were a good match. And they had been spending a lot of time together lately. They were both incredibly smart, honourable people who deserved to be appreciated and respected. They would get that from each other. It made her smile that her friends might find happiness together.

“Hmm I did ask Wells to keep an eye on Raven after Finn died. Remember he was stuck in the dropship with her for about three days while he was injured and she fixed the radio. How long has this been developing?”

“No idea. But now you're not only Mom, you’re cupid too” said Octavia laughing.

Clarke was about to deny it but gasped instead as she saw Wells lean in and kiss Raven tentatively. He drew back quickly giving her the opportunity to move away but instead she moved back in to kiss him again.

“Hmm, maybe I am!” she said with a laugh. Octavia joined in and they hugged, giggling continuously.

“What’s going on here?” said Bellamy as he moved back to sit next to Clarke.

“Mom and I were just enjoying the results of our labour” said Octavia, nodding to Raven and Wells who were still making out.

“I’m not really sure you should be calling Clarke, Mom” said Bellamy smiling as he saw the couple across the fire, “And whatever you do, don’t call me Dad! I don’t mind the others doing it but coming from you, it weirds me out”.

Octavia laughed again, “Okay Bell. I promise to call Clarke, Clarke. She is my sister now, after all”.

Clarke looked up to meet Bellamy’s eyes as Octavia called her sister. It made her heart skip a beat. His eyes had darkened and he was looking at her hungrily. She felt her face flush and the skin on her arm pebbled, where it was in contact with his skin. He put his arm around her and caressed her side, letting his hand fall to rest on her hip. And if he squeezed her hip every now and then, well that had nothing to do with her sudden gasps or the desire shooting through her body!

After everyone had eaten, Bellamy stood and called for silence. They’d agreed that Bellamy would talk first but then Clarke would explain the details of their options as she had been the one to speak to the Ark. Clarke was happy with this because the whole thing had left her so antsy she knew she couldn’t sit quietly and let Bellamy run the Fireside on his own, as he usually would. 

Bellamy began, “Everyone. We have a very important decision to make tonight. A lot has happened to us in the last month. We’ve taken everything this planet has thrown at us and we’ve not only survived. We’ve done better than that. We’ve thrived. We’ve built a family. A community. A new life.”

Clarke loved listening to Bellamy speak. He had such a gift for motivating people. He was truly an inspirational leader. She watched on proudly as he continued.

“The Ark want to force us to re-join them. To give up our family and everything we’ve fought for. They sent us down here, believing we would die... but we didn’t! We are still here and we are happy... Now they want to take our freedom... They want us to abandon our home – the one we have built from nothing with our bare hands... but I say, where would we be happier than inside these walls? Our dead brothers and sisters are buried behind that wall… In this ground… Our ground!”

The delinquents were soaking up his words. Clarke could feel their emotions stirring.

“The Ark think they can take that away... They think because we came from the Sky, we don’t belong here on the ground... But the Ark are yet to realise one very important fact... We are surviving on the ground now... And that means WE ARE GROUNDERS!”

“Grounders with guns” came the cry from one boy.

“Damn right”, said Bellamy, “How many times have we slept soundly at night knowing our brothers and sisters had our backs guarding our wall? How many times have we eaten well thanks to our brothers and sisters on the hunt or those who grow our crops? How many times have we looked around our camp and thanked our brothers and sisters on the building team for making us a home? I say let the Ark come and try to take it away from us... We haven’t fought so hard to give it up now!”

The kids were now cheering and began chanting, “We are Grounders”

After a few minutes, Clarke stood to stand alongside Bellamy and he raised his fist for quiet. The delinquents fell silent.

“Bellamy is right. We are Grounders now and this is our home. If we leave we may never find a place as safe as this. And God knows, in this world we could be faced with even worse tomorrow... Worse than we have already experienced... Who knows what kind of shambles the Ark camp will be? If how they ran the Ark is any guide, they’ll be dead within a year. They certainly won’t know how to survive down here.. but we do... We are Skaikru - we have the support of Trikru, so we are in a much stronger position.”

“I spoke with my own mother today, who laughed as she told me they are planning to use force to bring us all back into the Ark. They think we are children, not capable of looking after ourselves. To them we are and always will be – criminals... But worse still, she admitted regardless of Bellamy's pardon, Jaha will arrest and kill him at the first opportunity when they get here..." Clarke paused as cries of no and shocked gasps came from the crowd, "Well I, for one, will not stand by and let them to take him... I will fight to my last breath to keep him, and every one of you, safe... We are The 100... My mother can go to hell because you are my true family!” Clarke was suddenly engulfed by hugs from those near her and those farther away cheered in support.

When the kids had calmed down again, she continued, “So tonight we ask you to vote. Do you want to re-join the Ark or do you want to remain separate and be in control of our own lives? Our peace deal with Trikru does not extend to the Ark. It is Skaikru only. Heda Anya has committed her people to fight with us to defend us against any attack – even from those on the Ark.”

“We will not stop anyone who wants to return to the Ark. It is your right to choose. Just as we won’t stop any parents or other Arkers who wish to join Skaikru– as long as they agree to follow our rules.”

Clarke looked to Bellamy and he said “All those in favour of re-joining the Ark, raise your hand”. No one did.

“All those in favour of remaining separate as Skaikru”, said Bellamy before Clarke interrupted adding “And defending Bellamy”. He smiled and continued “Raise your hand” Clarke looked around and saw every delinquent had raised their hand.

Bellamy continued “Motion carried. We will communicate our decision to Trikru and request their assistance in defending our camp… Let’s all celebrate tonight... For it is our Independence Day!” 

Everyone cheered and raised their moonshine cups in toast. The delinquents were soon in full party mode, music thumping out from speakers on the dropship. Clarke and Bellamy sat down to talk to Lincoln about what they wanted him to tell Anya. He left shortly afterwards promising to return as soon as possible with news.

“Well Princess, guess there is nothing more we can do tonight except party” said Bellamy smirking.

“Oh Bell, I’m far too worried about you to party”, she replied, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling her head into his chest. Sometimes their height different annoyed her but then at times her 5’1” frame seemed to fit perfectly against his 5’ 11”. She sighed and relaxed against him, hearing the comforting whompf whompf sound of his heart. They were soon surrounded by dancers moving to the heavy beat. The song ended and a slower song came one. 

Bellamy looked down at Clarke and said “Fancy a dance, Princess?”

“I’d love to, my Rebel King” she replied with a laugh. He smiled and pulled her closer, his lips brushing her cheek and her ear. They didn’t really dance. It was more of a shuffle/sway than anything but Clarke didn’t care. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax for the first time in hours, taking in the comforting smell of wet earth, fire and that essence that was uniquely Bellamy. 

Yes, this was her family. This was her home. And she would defend them both, to her dying day.


	34. Trikru arrive

Bellamy POV

Bellamy woke early with something tickling his nose. It took a moment for him to realise it was Clarke’s hair, which was almost covering his face. He opened his eyes and gently moved off the bed without disturbing Clarke. He thought he’d been successful until her heard her sigh and felt her fingers running up and down his spine. Turning to smile at her, his breath caught in his throat at the sight - her hair fanned out on his pillow, a sleepy smile on her face. She looked delightfully sinful, despite the fact her naked form was covered by a blanket. He still couldn’t believe his luck – Clarke Griffin loved him.

“Good morning beautiful”, he said leaning down to place a quick kiss on her cheek.

“Good morning handsome… Is it really time to get up? Are you sure you don’t want to come back to bed?” she asked cheekily, raising an eyebrow in suggestion.

He barked a laugh in response. “You know Trikru will be here very soon, Princess. Probably best they don’t catch us in the act!” She got up, grumbling as she went but they were both quickly dressed and heading to breakfast.

As they exited the tent, they were intercepted by one of the building crew who had a question for Bellamy about the meeting hall. He felt Clarke touch his arm with her hand before she walked away, leaving him to his discussion. He saw Octavia run up and hug Clarke before they collected breakfast together and sat on one of the logs near the fire. Thankfully the building issue didn’t take long and he joined them shortly after.

“Octavia has suggested we might ask Anya if some of her warriors would train our guard and anyone who is interested in grounder fighting techniques. What do you think, Bell?” asked Clarke as he sat down.

“Hmm. That is a really good idea because at some point we are going to run out of bullets – unless Jasper and Raven can come up with a way to manufacture gun powder. It would be good to not have to rely on guns as our only defence.”

A shout of “Mom, Dad” came from the gate. “They’re here” said Bellamy.

They walked over to the gate to meet Trikru representatives, joined by most of the delinquents who were curious about their grounder visitors. The Trikru members had large tattoos on their arms and chests, while two had black war paint on their faces. Bellamy could see Lincoln and five other grounders. It puzzled him because Anya had said she would send three – a healer, a hunter and one of the council. He moved to greet Lincoln.

“Lincoln, welcome.”

“Clarke, Bellamy. This is Nyko our healer; Artigas, our hunter; Caliban from our tribal council; and two of our warriors: Indra and Tristan.” Warriors. They’d sent two of their warriors as well. Bellamy’s was on edge with this news.

“Welcome to Skaikru” said Clarke. 

Lincoln continued, “I spoke with Heda last night and made her aware of your situation. She has agreed Trikru will help you in any dispute with those from your Ark. She has sent two warriors with us today so we can begin to train your people in fighting skills.”

Bellamy felt a huge sigh of relief flow through him. “Thank you all for coming. And Lincoln, please give Heda our warmest thanks for being so thoughtful. We will be very grateful to learn as much as we can from you all.”

Caliban stepped forward, nodding in greeting to both Clarke and Bellamy. “You have done well to establish your village in such a short time.”

“Thank you” said Bellamy. He turned to Miller who had opened the gate to admit the Trikru representatives. “Miller, this is Indra and Tristan, warriors from Trikru. Can you please show them around camp and discuss how they would like to begin the fight training. I think the guard should be trained first but I’ll leave it up to you three to agree the arrangements.”

“I’m happy to help with that as well” said Lincoln. Miller stepped forward to greet Indra, Tristan and Lincoln before leading led them into camp. 

Bellamy turned to Munroe. “Munroe, this is Artigas, an expert hunter from Trikru. Can you please gather the hunting group together and introduce them. I’m assuming you will want to take the out into the forest, Artigas?” Artigas nodded and smiled at Munroe as they walked off to meet the hunting group. 

Clarke stepped forward, “Nyko, I am the healer here but I am training a small group to assist me so I'll get them to sit in if that is okay?"

Caliban interrupted saying "I was hoping that I would be able to spend the day with you Heda as the leader of this camp". There was something about the way he was looking at Clarke that put Bellamy on edge. He was glad when Clarke responded quickly.

"Bellamy and I are co-leaders together. Anything you would say to me, you can say to him" Bellamy could tell Clarke was annoyed as she was standing up straight and glaring at Caliban, almost daring him to challenge her. She continued, "I am the only doctor in our camp so I will need to spend time with Nyko", she turned quickly giving Caliban no opportunity to argue.

"Nyko, this is Monty and Octavia. Perhaps we can move into our med bay to discuss how you wish to proceed?” Octavia led the way with Nyko and Monty following. Bellamy felt Clarke touch her hand to his back reassuringly as she left. 

“I guess I am with you then, Heda Bellamy” said Caliban.

“Yes please. I’ll give you a tour of our camp and bring you up to speed with our plans. I’ll introduce you to Wells, who is our engineer. He is responsible for the design of our buildings and I know he is keen to speak to you." He led the way to the Comms tent where he knew he would find Wells.

\--0—

Clarke POV

By the end of the day, the Trikru representatives had been adopted into Skaikru by the delinquents. There was much laughter and fun, but also a lot of hard work. Everyone had learnt a lot that would help them to survive on the ground. A feeling of optimism had settled over the camp. As they sat around the camp fire in the evening after dinner, Caliban and Lincoln discussed strategy with Clarke and Bellamy. Clarke was seated with Bellamy on her right, close enough so their arms were touching. Lincoln and Caliban were seated on the other side of Bellamy. She wondered for a minute if Bellamy had positioned them this way deliberately but brushed it off.

“When do you expect the Ark people to arrive?” asked Caliban

“They will land in 5 days time”, said Clarke

“But we don’t expect them to show up here immediately”, said Bellamy, “It will take them some days to establish a camp and treat any of those who are injured from the journey down”.

“We should nominate a group of 4 warriors – 2 from Trikru (Lincoln and Indra) and 2 from Skaikru, who will go to their landing spot and act as advanced scouts”, said Caliban

“Yes, that would give us a much better idea of how soon they will make their move” said Bellamy. He turned to Clarke and said “Any thoughts on who to send?”

“Hmm I was wondering if we should have these advanced scouts wait until the contingent comes to attempt to 'retrieve' us and then enter the Ark camp to offer any parents or other Arkers the opportunity to join us? Knowing Abby, Kane and Jaha as I do, I don’t trust them to tell people the truth. It might help to use this opportunity to have our representatives speak directly to them. What do you think?”

“I think you are wise beyond your years, Heda Clarke” said Caliban, an unidentifiable gleam in his eyes. Not for the first time that day, Clarke felt uncomfortable under Caliban’s gaze. She turned to Bellamy and smiled, “Bell?”

Bellamy reached out and grabbed her hand bringing it to his lips. “Caliban is right, Princess. You are a genius. And I fear we are right to not trust the Ark Council to tell people the truth.” 

Clarke felt Caliban looking between her and Bellamy and their still entwined hands. A look of dawning understanding crossing his face.

Bellamy continued, “Do you think Wells would want to be one of the advanced scouts? His connection to Jaha will give his words weight to many of the Arkers?”

“Yes, I was thinking Wells and I know you won’t like it but Octavia” replied Clarke hesitantly. She continued when Bellamy scowled, “Now Bell she is by far the most advanced in terms of sword fighting and knife skills. She’s been training with me for weeks. And she won’t be out of contact, Raven has got 8 of the walkies working now.” She knew he wouldn’t be happy about it but Octavia deserved a chance to make a contribution and Clarke knew she was keen to be involved.

“I know you are right”, he said with a sigh, “She is the obvious choice but don’t expect me to like it”. Clarke leaned in and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear “I’m proud of you, Bellamy Blake”. She was pleased to hear him laugh in response.

“We are agreed then: Lincoln, Indra, Octavia and Wells will make their way to the landing site to observe and report back on the Ark people. Once the Ark leadership leave to engage with your village, the four will enter the camp and discuss your offer with the people”, said Caliban.

“We need to make sure the guard don’t play any games or try to use them as leverage against us, especially if one of them is my sister” said Bellamy

“We will be establish a temporary camp outside your wall, as we have today. Although it will be much larger to accommodate our army while we wait their arrival. It would be easy for us to take their leaders hostage for you – the release would be dependent on the safe return of all four of our scouts?” suggested Caliban

“Hmm that might work if you do it, rather than us”, said Clarke

“My Heda will wish to speak to them to see if they are interested in a peace treaty too so we could use that as an excuse. We hold them for these talks in our temporary camp and only release them once our people are returned safely” said Caliban, "This would also ensure that your relationship with the Ark camp was not damaged any more than necessary. I assume some Skaikru will have family in the Ark camp so keeping a friendly relationship would be in your interest too”.

Clarke was suddenly glad that Octavia had met Lincoln. She didn’t doubt that he had played a large part in the support and concessions they were being given by Heda and in turn, Caliban. Their understanding of battle strategy and political situations was invaluable.

“Thank you, Caliban” she said, “We appreciate your sharing your political expertise with us. I think that would be the best solution. What about you, Bell?”

“Definitely. It gives us all the best chance for long lasting peace” he said.

The conversation turned to winter and what the camp would need to do to survive. Clarke felt her eyes closing and stifled a yawn. It had been a busy few days and she hadn’t slept well last night for worrying about the Ark taking Bellamy. She felt her head slowly dropping to Bellamy’s shoulder.

After a few minutes, she heard him say “Come on, Princess. Let’s get you to bed”. Her eyes flew open and she realised he was standing in front of her, smirking. She reached up to put her hand in his and stood up.

“Good night” she said to Caliban, as Bellamy led them to their tent. She could feel his eyes on her the whole way but refused to look back. She wanted to like him but his presence made her uncomfortable, not in a threatening way, more an awkward one. Once they entered the tent, Bellamy turned and put his arms around her, pulling her close while his lips found hers. Her body responded to him immediately and she sighed happily.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all day”, he said as he dusted his lips across her jaw and down to her neck, beginning to suck and nip the sensitive skin.

“Are you giving me a hickey, Bellamy Blake?” she teased

“Damn right”, he replied, “I don’t like the way Caliban looks at you. He needs to know you are taken, so I am marking you as mine”

The words caused a rush of desire to flood through her body. It sounded so possessive. She really should mind but it gave her a thrill instead that he wanted her to be his.

“I am yours” she said

“Say it again, Princess. I want to hear it over and over.”

“I’m yours”

“And my name, Princess”

His mouth was doing wicked things to her neck and she was struggling for coherent thought, “I’m yours, Bellamy. All yours. And you’re all mine.”

He made a growl sound deep in his throat and Clarke couldn’t wait any longer. She reached down and grabbed his shirt pulling it over his head before doing the same to hers.

“You’re mine”, she said pushing him back onto the bed, “Let me show you how much you are mine.”


	35. It's a home...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ark is almost down so we know what's coming but before that, some warm feelings and joy in camp. The kids say thank you to Mom and Dad.
> 
> I don't own The 100.
> 
> Please do not be a silent reader.

Clarke POV

Over the next few days, the Trikru contingent became more entrenched in Skaikru life, with knowledge been shared between the tribes. Clarke couldn’t help the underlying feeling of anxiety over the coming arrival of the Ark. She had taken to keeping tabs on Bellamy so she always knew where he was at any given time. If he had noticed, he hadn’t commented but she had caught him giving her what looked like a longsuffering smile.

Clarke and Monty had spent the morning showing Nyko some techniques for basic operations, such as removing bullets, and how to ensure the wound and equipment is sterile. The Trikru team were very interested in learning how to make moonshine, not just for its medicinal uses! It was proving to be one of the most valuable things, besides knowledge, Skaikru had to offer.

She exited the dropship and watched Monty lead Nyko over to his garden area where he also kept his still in a small shed. The camp was a hive of activity with some delinquents training in fighting techniques, while others were busy on the building work. The meeting hall and smoke house had been finished the day before and the first two cabins were imminent. A further 7 cabins had been started, with the help of some of the Trikru members who were learning building techniques from Wells.

Seeing Clarke standing on the dropship entrance, Caliban walked over to greet her. While she hadn’t been exactly avoiding Caliban, she hadn't actively been seeking him out since the first evening when his constant gaze had made her feel awkward.

“Good morning Heda”

“Good morning Caliban. How are you today?” she replied.

“I am very well thank you”, he stood next to her, looking over the camp, “I think we have made great progress in our peace agreement”

“Yes. It is very pleasing to see”

“Heda Clarke…” he said hesitantly, “Do I have your permission to ask you a personal question, Heda?”

Clarke felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. May as well get it over with, she thought. Taking a deep breath, she said “You may ask me but I reserve the right to not answer if I don’t wish to”

He laughed and looked to the hickey on her neck, “I see you are carrying the mark of a lover and I assume this is Heda Bellamy?” She nodded so he continued, “I do not wish to make you uncomfortable but the unusual colour of your hair, makes you are a rare prize. A woman who is strong, intelligent and beautiful – not many men are lucky to find such a woman. I must ask if you are serious about Heda Bellamy or is it just a political alliance?”

Clarke gasped but Caliban continued, “You are surely not in any doubt of my high regard and desire for you. Should your alliance be purely political, I would wish to acquire you from Bellamy. However if it is a serious commitment, I will withdraw and say nothing to him.”

Clarke was furious. What the hell! He had made her sound like a possession not a human being. She knew she had to be careful what she said to him. The last thing she wanted to do was disrupt the peace process.

“Caliban. Thank you, I think, for the compliment you have paid me. However I must tell you that our customs are very different to yours. Women and men are equal in relationships in our culture – neither one is the property of the other. I know you did not mean to offend me but your words underline how unsuitable you would be for me.”

She took a breath and continued, “Let me be clear. I love Bellamy with all my heart. And he loves me in return. Our relationship is not political. And we are 100% committed to each other. Bellamy is everything I could wish for and more in a partner and I will never change my mind.” She went to walk away, but Caliban grabbed her arm to stop her.

“I did not mean to offend you Heda. The mark on your neck is one of possession, is it not? What other reason would he have to do that than to warn others off?”

She yanked her arm free of his grasp, her voice clipped “Yes, it is a mark of possession. Which is why you would've seen a matching mark on Bellamy’s neck, if you’d bothered to look”. At that she stalked off, seething. It had been too long since she had the opportunity to spar with Octavia. She needed to burn off some anger and that seemed like a good way to do it.

\--0—

Bellamy POV

Bellamy was just coming to the end of his shift on the wall, as Miller approached to takeover. He was keen to get away after watching Caliban talk to Clarke near the dropship. He wasn’t sure what was said but he could tell from Clarke’s body language that whatever it was had made her angry. She was now sparring with Octavia on the other side of camp and it seemed a little more aggressive than usual.

“Miller, how are things progressing” said Bellamy as Miller climbed up to take a position on the wall next to him.

“Good but a word of warning - the kids are telling everyone to stay away from Mom for a while. She’s pissed at someone. She gave Sterling 2 weeks of latrine duty because he was 2 minutes late for fight training.” 

He was right. She was angry. “I think I know who pissed her off.”

“Octavia is trying to get her to work off her anger in fight training at the moment. If that doesn’t work maybe you should kiss her or something.”

“Miller!”

“I’m just kidding man but knowing Griff as well as I do, she’ll be angry for a while”

“You’ve been friends with her for a long time?” asked Bellamy. It wasn’t a question per se as he knew it was true but he’d never really talked to Miller about Clarke before.

“Yeah, we were neighbours and in school together... Until she got accelerated and moved up in her studies.” Miller looked over to where Clarke and Octavia were sparring, “I always felt sorry for Griff at school. None of the other kids wanted to be friends with her, mostly because of who her parents were. I guess even the other Alpha kids thought she was above them. It’s why she's so close to Wells.”

“The Ark class system is a crock of shit. I judged her for it when I first met her but then I realised that I didn’t want to be defined by where I came from so it was wrong of me to do the same to her.” Bellamy felt bad when he remembered some of the things he said to Clarke when they first landed.

“She’s definitely not your average Alpha Princess”, Miller laughed suddenly, “You know what the best part of the school day was?” Bellamy shook his head.

“Lunch time. A clique of superficial Alpha Princesses would make a point of trying to pick on Griff because she refused to wear makeup, style her hair or wear a dress. Griff never had any time for that. What did she call it again? Oh yeah, phoney primping”.

They both laughed before Miller continued, “Anyway, Griff usually had lunch with me and Wells and these girls would come by and try to belittle and bully her. You can imagine how that went!”

“Hmm. I think I can. I've been on the receiving end enough times myself...”, Bellamy replied. He could just see Clarke listening with one eyebrow cocked as the Alpha Princesses tried to demean her before firing back a perfectly worded retort.

“She’d listen in silence then just when they thought they’d won, she shoot them down in flames like a machine gun – firing words instead of bullets” he laughed again, “She was way smarter than any of them and didn’t give a shit what they thought. I think the not caring was the thing that really got to them - they really didn’t know how to handle that – they were so used to everyone falling at their feet… You’re a lucky man, Bellamy. She’s one in a million. She's never really recovered from losing Jake - her Dad. He was so different to Abby, almost the complete opposite. He loved Griff so much. It broke her heart to lose him but since she met you, I can finally see the old Griff coming back.”

They sat in silence for a moment. Bellamy saw Miller straighten his shoulders and say “I love Griff like a sister, Bellamy. So I have to say if you aren’t serious about her or you hurt her, I will end you.” He finished with a determined look.

Bellamy wasn’t surprised by what Miller had said. He had expected it from Miller or Wells, probably both in fact. He put his hand on Miller’s shoulder and said “Miller, I’ve never been more serious about anyone in my life. I love her. She’s the one.”

Miller nodded, as Bellamy got up and walked away to find Clarke.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke was aware that Bellamy had come over to join the crowd of Skaikru and Trikru watching her spar with Octavia. Her body always seemed on heightened alert for his presence and she knew he was there, standing behind her, even though she hadn't taken her eyes off Octavia. They’d initially been fighting but had now retrieved their swords. The sound of metal clashing with metal could be heard across camp. After about 20 minutes, Lincoln stepped forward and said “Perhaps you would like to challenge yourself to fight with me, Clarke?”

Clarke looked at Octavia who was trying not to grin. “Do you mind Tavia?”

“Of course not. It’ll be good for you to fight against someone you haven’t taught yourself. I know I'm good but I am no where near as good as you. I’ve fought Lincoln myself and learned a lot”. Octavia put her sword away and went to stand by Bellamy. Lincoln stepped up and they began to fight. Once again, metal clashed with metal. Clarke was having to really concentrate hard now, trying to anticipate Lincoln’s movements. Octavia was right. He was good but then he’d probably had years of practice and actual battles. It didn't bear thinking about.

Clarke knew she was still tense from her earlier conversation with Caliban. She could feel it in her shoulders and understood it would be affecting her performance. She took a step back, took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders, squaring up to meet Lincoln again. That was better. She was moving much more fluidly now, making it easier for her to use her speed against him. She focused on the fight and felt her body flowing and begining to move more gracefully.

After about half an hour, Lincoln put down his sword and held up his hands to end the bout. “You are very skilled, Clarke. I knew you must be, given how much Octavia has learned from you. It was a pleasure to fight you.”

“Thank you, Lincoln. That means a lot to me” she said, putting her sword back into its sheath and turning towards Bellamy and Octavia. She could see Caliban standing near them and he nodded his head in acknowledgement as she walked past.

“Look out Bell, you’re going to get a sweaty hug” said Octavia laughing.

“The best kind…” he said, his voice low and full of meaning. Clarke walked into his arms and hugged him. “You okay?” she heard him whisper. Pulling back to look at him, she replied, “Yeah. I’ll tell you about it later”

“I’m heading off to the river to clean up. You coming, Clarke?” said Octavia.

A swim in the river sounded perfect. “Definitely” she said putting her arm around Octavia as they walked off together.

As they got to the gate, they were joined by Munroe and Roma. “You off for a swim, Mom?” asked Roma.

“Yes, would you two ladies like to join us?” Clarke knew Bellamy would feel better if they were in a larger group. The whole safety in numbers thing.

“I’ll grab a gun, just in case” said Munroe. She returned quickly and the four girls made their way to the river.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke returned to camp with the others an hour later, feeling much better. After grabbing a quick lunch, she went to sit on the wall with Miller. 

“Hey Miller”

“Griff” was his reply, then he asked tentatively, “How are you feeling?”

“Good”. Clarke almost laughed out loud at the relieved look on Miller’s face. She heard laughing behind her and realised Wells had come up to join them.

“Wells… I thought you’d be with Raven?” asked Clarke, cheekily.

“You’re one to talk, Clarke”, Wells replied, “I think this is the first time I have seen you without Bellamy in over a week.” Clarke blushed in response.

“It’s nice to see you happy” said Wells, leaning in to give her a hug.

“Ditto” was her reply. She really was happy. And it only filled her with more joy to see her oldest friends also happy. Miller and Monty had been together three weeks now and seemed to be very settled. “I’m so happy for you and Raven. You deserve the best and she is definitely that. You’re a lucky man, Wells”

“I sure am. We’re taking it slowly, especially after the way that arsehole Finn treated her but I’ve told her I’m in for the long haul and am happy to go at her pace.”

“She’s a lucky girl too” said Miller. Clarke nodded in agreement. She thought about their old lives on the Ark and how different things were now.

“You’re frowning, Griff” said Miller

“Yeah. I’m just thinking about Jaha, Abby and Kane. How are you feeling about the whole thing, Wells? It must be harder for you because you had a decent relationship with your Dad.”

“Hmm”, he replied, “I know your relationship with Abby has always been distant but yeah, I feel close to my Dad. I still won’t want to join the Ark though. Their archaic class system is wrong and it's basically a dictatorship. People deserve the freedom to choose how to life their lives and should only be judged on merit, not where they were born. How they can justify only giving good jobs to those from Alpha is beyond me. I look around at the kids here and they are just as smart as those in Alpha. More so in many cases but in Ark society they are worthless. It’s wrong and I’ll stand by that, even to my Dad.”

Clarke knew he was right. She thought about Monty and Jasper. They were both gifted scientists but would have never been able to move beyond low level jobs on the Ark. What a waste.

“Do you think they will really try to kill Bellamy?” asked Miller

“Abby admitted it. She wasn’t even embarrassed and expected me to think it was okay. How can that woman be my mother? It just doesn’t make sense” said Clarke.

“We won’t let them take him, Clarke” said Wells. Miller nodded in agreement.

“It’s not just about him though” said Clarke, “They want us all but how long will it be before they lock us up again? They look at the kids and only see criminals. It makes me so angry.”

“Now don’t be getting pissed off again” said Miller quickly.

Clarke laughed, “I won’t.”

“They sent us down here to die”, said Wells, “but they didn’t realise they were giving us our freedom. The chance to decide how we want to live. I’ll never give that up.”

“I’d never have been allowed to be with Bellamy on the Ark... I’d probably never have met him...” said Clarke with a frown.

“You really love him, don’t you?” said Miller

“Yeah” she whispered. She really did. She had tried to pin point when she fell in love with him but couldn’t. She’d been attracted to him physically from the moment they met but love: that had happened gradually. She couldn’t imagine her life without him now.

“He’s the one. I don’t know how I know that. I just do. Does that make any sense at all?” she asked.

Both boys nodded and they all laughed.

Well as much as I like chatting, this isn’t why I came over”, said Wells, “The kids have a surprise for you and Bellamy”. Clarke took the hand Wells offered and climbed down from the wall, intrigued. 

“I guess I’ll see you later, Miller” He smiled back. “You know what the surprise is, don’t you?” she asked. Miller smirked and looked away.

Wells led Clarke across camp to where Bellamy was talking to a group from the building crew. 

“Are we ready?” he asked. The delinquents nodded in reply. One of the younger members of the building crew, Ryan, stepped forward. His messy brown hair falling into his eyes and an easy smile on his face. Clarke knew Ryan couldn’t be more than 13 years old. What on earth had such a young boy done to deserve to be locked up in the Skybox?

“Mom. Dad. We wanted to do something special for you as a thank you for the way you look after us all.” 

Clarke felt Bellamy take her hand and entwine his fingers with hers. “You really don’t need to do that, Ryan. We feel lucky to be family with you all” said Bellamy in reply. Clarke squeezed his hand and smiled. God she loved this man.

“We wanted to. Most of us have never had real parents before... not ones who actually cared, anyway” said Ryan. He led them to one of the two cabins. “We built this cabin for you both and we are happy to say, it is now ready for you.”

Ryan opened the cabin door and held it back to allow Bellamy, Clarke and Wells to enter. The door opened into a large open plan living room. At one end was a small kitchen, a table and chairs. The room was dominated by a large fireplace surrounded by two chairs and a sofa. There was even an intricately woven rug in front of the fireplace. 

Clarke couldn’t believe her eyes. “But where on earth has this furniture come from?” She couldn’t believe the kids had made it.

“The kids found all sorts of furniture and supplies in a large medical bunker under the nearby mountain. There’s a lot in there – enough for all our cabins once they are finished. We’ve had a group bringing it over, piece by piece, as we finish the buildings”, said Wells.

“So this is your living area”, said Ryan. He turned to the left and opened a door on one side of the living area, “This is your office and spare bedroom.”

Clarke stepped in and heard Bellamy gasp beside her. At one end of the long room was a bed and chest of drawers. A screen provided some privacy and broke the areas of the room up. The closer end had a large wooden desk and chair. On the wall of the office area was an intricately hand-drawn map of the local area.

“That’s one of Trikru’s maps” said Bellamy

“Yes Dad, well spotted. We swapped two bottles of Monty’s moonshine for it with Tristan” said Ryan. He opened the desk drawer and pointed in, “We also found several notebooks and some coloured pencils. We thought you might like to use them for sketching, Mom?” he said.

Clarke felt tears slipping down her cheeks. She was so moved that the kids had gone to so much trouble for them. She pulled Ryan into a hug and said “You know I love you guys”

“Love you too, Mom”, he mumbled, somewhat embarrassed. He moved away quickly and led them back through the living area to a door opposite the kitchen. “And this is your... erm... bedroom...”, he said, a pink tinge flooding his cheeks.

Clarke moved into the room and saw a large double bed, covered in blankets and furs. There was a small wardrobe and a large chest of drawers. On the far side of the room, was a door to a small bathroom. There was no running water but the room had a free standing bath, a cupboard with a bowl on top for washing, and some basic toilet facilities.

“It’s fantastic” said Bellamy, “Is that a bathroom?”

“Yes, the Trikru team have shown us how they build a toilet and bathroom facilities in their village and it works really well” said Wells.

Clarke moved to wrap her arms around Bellamy and tuck herself against his chest. “It’s better than fantastic” she said, “It’s a home…”


	36. We are Skaikru

Bellamy POV

In the evening, Skaikru held their first ever meal in the meeting hall. The kids had brought over wooden tables and chairs from the nearby medical bunker so there was enough for everyone to sit down. The fireplace had a big roaring fire and the room was filled with a warm, soft glow from all the candles.

Bellamy sat with Clarke on a table at the top end of the hall. Raven, Wells, Octavia, Lincoln, Miller, Monty and Jasper were with them. Caliban and most of the Trikru team were on the table next door. Bellamy could feel Caliban’s eyes on him. After they had thanked the building team and all the kids who helped build and furnish their cabin, they’d been left alone in their home and had enjoyed a peaceful afternoon, settling in. 

Clarke had told him about her conversation with Caliban. He hadn’t been surprised he’d tried to make a move for her but he was angry just the same. He’d treated her as if she was a commodity! How could anyone look at his Princess and think that? No wonder the Princess had been absolutely fuming afterwards. She’d made Bellamy promise he wouldn’t say anything to Caliban because the peace agreement was still so new but it was taking all his willpower to keep to it. He turned and met Caliban’s eyes with a hard stare and held his gaze. Eventually the Trikru man looked away.

As if sensing his irritation, Clarke turned to look up at him and smiled lovingly. Bellamy felt his heart lift and smiled back in return. They were building a home and a future together and he had never felt happier. He still felt the underlying tension from the imminent arrival of Jaha and the others but he was confident they would win out, with the help of Trikru. For the first time in his life, he actually felt excited about what the future would hold for him.

That afternoon more of the Trikru warriors had begun to arrive. They now had a fairly substantial temporary camp outside the dropship camp walls. One newly arrived group had brought tattoo equipment with them, much to the excitement of many of the delinquents. The Princess had been very concerned and lectured the kids at length about not making any rushed decisions or covering their bodies with tattoos. As the meal came to a close, a small group of delinquents led by Munroe came forward to Bellamy and Clarke. What are they up to?

“Mom? Dad?” said Munroe

“What is it, Sweetheart?” asked Clarke

“We have been talking with the Trikru warriors and it seems that most clans have a clan tattoo design and they tattoo it onto every member as a rite of passage once they reach 15 years old. We wondered if we should have the same for Skaikru?”

Bellamy held his breath waiting to see what Clarke would say. He didn’t think it was a bad idea as it would demonstrate their commitment to assimilate into grounder culture, but he was concerned not everyone would want one, and he certainly didn’t know what the Princess might think.

“Where do they put the tattoo?” asked Clarke. Bellamy looked up in surprise, she seemed to be considering the idea.

“Well most clans do it on the right wrist” said Munroe lifting her arm, “but we don’t have any ideas for a Skaikru design. We thought you might have some, Mum, given your talent for drawing.”

Clarke looked at Bellamy. He could tell from her expression that she was asking what he thought. He loved that they were becoming so close that words were not always necessary between them. He nodded in reply and she smiled.

“Okay give me some time and I’ll see what I can come up with” she replied, getting up to walk out of the hall and make her way to the office in their cabin. Bellamy could tell she had been itching to draw ever since she had been given the art supplies.

Clarke returned about half an hour later with a piece of paper. She handed it to Bellamy.

“What do you think?” she asked, “I tried to keep it simple like the other clan designs but I’m worried it’s too simple”. The drawing had the word Skaikru, written across two clouds, with a few stars placed around it.

“I love it” he said, pushing it down the table for the others to see.

“That’s awesome” said Raven.

“I want one now” said Octavia. The others all nodded in agreement. 

“Munroe come and look at this” said Bellamy. Munroe ran over and broke into a huge grin, “Mom, you always know exactly what we want”. She grabbed Clarke and gave her a hug. Bellamy could tell Clarke was really moved by the comment and grabbed her hand, to give it a squeeze.

“So how do we do this?” he asked

One of the tattooists from Trikru came forward and looked at the design. “This is a good design”, he said, “There are four of us here so we can set up on a table in the corner and begin immediately. Who is going to go first?”

“I think Bellamy and I should” said Clarke, looking at him with a questioning look.

“Let’s do it” he said, standing up, “Okay everyone, this is not compulsory. If you don’t want a tattoo, that is fine. You will not be treated any differently. And only those 15 and over can get one today.”

The delinquents all cheered and began talking excitedly. Bellamy grabbed Clarke’s hand and led her to the table where the tattooists had set up their equipment.

A short time later, they both had a small Skaikru tattoo on their right wrist. Wells, Raven, Jasper and Miller were getting theirs and the rest of the delinquents had formed a queue across the meeting hall.

“Your Mom isn’t going to be happy with you, Princess” said Bellamy.

She laughed and said, “Yeah, in her eyes I’m sleeping with a murder and leading a rebellion! A tattoo is the least thing she has to be unhappy about.” Bellamy laughed and pulled her in to his arms to kiss her. He only meant it to be a light kiss but Clarke threw her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss. He just couldn’t resist this woman. He pulled her closer, plastering her against his chest and heard her moan in response. Eventually he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Breaking apart he looked around to see Wells laughing and hear the delinquents chanting “Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad”. He felt Clarke hide her head against him, her face flushed in embarrassment.

Bellamy wondered how soon they could make their excuses and escape to their cabin.

\--0—

Clarke POV

Clarke woke up and for a moment wasn’t sure where she was. Then she remembered. She was in their cabin. Their home. Bellamy was asleep on his stomach with his arm stretched out over her, anchoring her to the bed. She lay there for a few minutes watching him sleep.

Clarke could hardly believe it was just two weeks since they had admitted their love for each other. She couldn’t even begin to remember what it was like before Bellamy was in her life. She’d only known him 5 weeks but their bond was already deeper than any she had ever known and she knew it would last a lifetime. They understood each other so well, they had begun to have silent conversations, exchanging looks and the occasional nod of the head. She began to draw lazy circles on his arm with her hand. His olive skin stood out against her pale white stomach - she was very jealous of his complexion. She heard his breathing change and become shallow and turned her smiling face to meet his open eyes.

“Good morning, Princess” he said

“Morning Bell… Have I told you how much I love you?” she asked as she began to trail kisses over his shoulder and neck.

“No but you can show me” he said, quickly grabbing her and flipping them over so he was on his back and she was sprawled across his chest.

Clarke felt her heart flutter, “Oh god. Why can I never resist you?” she giggled as she leaned in to kiss him.

An hour later the pair emerged from their cabin, hand in hand and made their way to the meeting hall for breakfast. After grabbing some food, they sat with Raven and Wells at the top end of the hall.

“Good morning” said Clarke

“Hey Mom”, said Raven with a smirk, “You look like you’ve been thoroughly fu…”

“Raven!” interrupted Wells and Bellamy together. 

“Well she does, just look at her”. 

Bellamy had a very proud look on his face. When she noticed it, Clarke couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on hers and chuckled. “Oh eat your breakfast and calm down everyone” she said.

“So the rest of Trikru should be arriving today and if the Ark stick to their plan, they’ll be down tomorrow”, said Wells.

“Yep” said Clarke, “Is it wrong that part of me is hoping none of their dropships work anymore and they can’t launch?” She didn’t really mean it because that would mean the Ark oxygen supply would run out but she really didn’t want to see her mother.

Bellamy laughed, “It just the Council I want to stop coming down here”.

“They won’t win”, said Wells determindly

“Yeah, Wells is right. The Council think of us as criminals... as children... That will be their mistake because they will underestimate us and our commitment to each other” said Raven.

A voice came over Bellamy’s walkie-talkie, “Dad, are you reading, over?”

“What is it Sterling?” he replied.

“We need you and Mom at the gate. Heda and the rest of Trikru are a few minutes out”

“On our way”, he replied. Grabbing Clarke’s hand as they stood up. Clarke thanked Raven for offering to clear up their plates and hurried along beside Bellamy. The arrived at the gate a minute before Heda and her warriors did.

“Welcome Heda”, said Bellamy, moving forward to give the traditional hand to elbow greeting, “You and your warriors are most welcome at Skaikru”.

Anya stepped forward and exchanged an elbow greeting with Clarke too before speaking. “Thank you Bellamy and Clarke. I have heard a lot of good things about you and your people from my representatives. I am pleased to see your commitment to peace is strong.”

“Thank you Heda” said Clarke, “We are very happy to be given the opportunity to share our knowledge and skills with your people and hope to create lasting peace”.

“My warriors will build the our camp but I would like to see your village. It is impressive given you have only been on the ground a number of weeks.” As she finished speaking, Caliban came to greet her. Clarke and Bellamy smiled and led Anya around the camp, pointing out the med bay, the smoke house, their new meeting hall and the cabins. 9 cabins had been finished now. Caliban accompanied them, pointing out some of the features of the buildings which Skaikru had taught Trikru.

The building crew had doubled in size in recent weeks and with help from Trikru, they were building a cabin every two days. It would be a matter of weeks before everyone had a cabin. Those without a cabin at the moment were sleeping in the meeting hall each evening so all tents had now been packed up. As they walked around, Clarke felt a surge of pride at the permanence and stability their village radiated.

After the tour, Bellamy and Clarke invited Anya and Caliban into their cabin so they could talk more privately about what would happen next. Clarke hurriedly cleared up the drawings she had left on the kitchen table the night before but not before Caliban saw them. She’d been trying to sketch Bellamy and had made many attempts before giving up and drawing the dropship and camp entrance.

“Did you draw these, Heda Clarke?” he asked

“Yes”

“You are quite the talented artist” he said, his face screwing up as he noticed all but one of the drawings was of Bellamy.

“I enjoy drawing things I love” she said meaningfully.

Anya had been watching this exchange with a frown, and gave Caliban a cross look before turning to Bellamy, “Do you still expect the Ark people to arrive tomorrow?”

“Yes. They confirmed it in a conversation with our mechanic, Raven yesterday” he said.

“So we will proceed as planned and send Lincoln, Indra, Octavia and Wells as advanced scouts to the landing site, once we know where it is”. Clarke and Bellamy nodded in confirmation.

“Good”, she said, “Now in view of how well the exchange of knowledge has progressed, I intend to grant you the land your camp sits on, plus further hunting grounds which run from the river in the west to the mountain range in the east. Caliban do you have a map, please?”

“Yes”, he said, pulling one out of his bag. Anya leaned over and drew a large area around the dropship camp.

“This will be your land. Do you agree?”

Bellamy and Clarke’s eyes met and they both said “Yes” immediately. Clarke couldn’t believe how generous Anya had been. She had granted them 5 times the land they had thought they would need and it included the bunker with the furniture and supplies in it, meaning they would have undisputed ownership of it all.

“Thank you Heda” she said, “You have been most generous”

“Your good will has earned this for you. It is down to your own merit”, Anya replied, turning to Caliban she said, “Please leave us Caliban. I have something confidential to discuss with Bellamy and Clarke”

“But Heda, surely there is nothing so confidential that you cannot discuss it in front of me” he replied. Clarke thought he looked put out at being dismissed so easily.

“Do not make me repeat myself, Caliban” said Anya, her voice now cold and unforgiving.

“As you wish Heda” he said and left quickly. 

Once the cabin door had been closed again, Anya turned to Bellamy and Clarke and said “I have also had discussions with the Commander of the 12 clans about you. I trust you do not mind this?”

Clarke and Bellamy looked at each other in confusion. “I’m sorry Heda, but did you say 12 clans?” asked Bellamy.

“Of course, you would not be aware”, she said, “There are twelve clans who survived the apocalypse: We are Trikru, the forest people but there are also Azgeda, the Ice nation; Floukru, who live on the ocean; Sankru, the desert people; Yujleda, the foliage clan; Ouskejon Kru, the clan from the blue cliffs; Delfikru, the Delphi people; Trishana Kru, from the bright forest; Podakru, the lake people; Ingranrona Kru, riders of the plains; Boudalan Kru, people from the rocks; and Louwoda Kliron, who live in Shallow Valley.”

“In recent years, Commander Lexa had brought the 12 clans together to form a coalition to maintain peace between us. The Commander rules all and is the keeper of the flame, according to our religion.”

“Keeper of the flame?” aske Clarke

“Yes our religion dictates the Commander draws their power from the flame which holds the spirits of all previous Commanders.”

“And you have spoken to Commander Lexa on our behalf?” asked Bellamy.Clarke could tell he was nervous of where this was going.

“Yes, I have explained your situation and our peace treaty. Lexa is a wise ruler and only seeks peace amongst our peoples. I have asked her if she would consider making Skaikru the 13th clan and bringing you into the coalition. This would mean none of the other clans could move against you, however it would also mean you would have to be willing to allow some of your people to train with the Commander's army and if war was ever declared, you would be committed to fight alongside the 12 clans. Was I right to raise this with Lexa?” Anya asked.

Bellamy and Clarke exchanged a look and agreed. This was better than anything they could have hoped for. Clarke turned to Anya and said “Thank you, Anya. You were right to discuss this with Lexa. We only seek peace with all 12 clans and if we are offered the opportunity to become the 13th clan, we would be honoured to accept it.”

“Excellent. Lexa felt it would be best to resolve the threat from the Ark people before discussing it further. Once this is done, I will invite Lexa to visit Trikru and you can both meet her there.”

“We cannot thank you enough, Anya”, said Bellamy, “Our people are in your debt and we will honour our commitment to you, always.”

Anya smiled, “Please do not mention this to anyone until I issue the invitation for Lexa to visit Trikru. Creating a 13th clan will be a sensitive business so it is best to keep it between ourselves for now.”

“Of course”, said Clarke. They left the cabin and walked Anya back to the gates and said goodbye. As Clarke watched Anya enter the tent already built for her in the temporary Trikru camp, she put her arm around Bellamy.

“Wow the 13th clan”, he whispered. She turned into his arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek bringing her lips to his ear, “We could have a real home, Bellamy… forever…”


End file.
